Fantasy
by JazzGirl123
Summary: After suffering a blow to the head, Amu wakes up in a hospital and learns not all is what it seems. Utau and Ikuto aren't siblings, Rima hates her, Ami isn't her only sibling, Tadase is her cheating boyfriend, and she had a personality disorder? What is going on? How will Amu cope with all of this? Can she make her fantasy into a reality or is she stuck in this foreign world? Amuto
1. Chapter 1

…

"…and Souma passes the ball to Hinamori without any conflict…will she make it? Will she score and have Seiyo Elementary School win the championship for the first time in twenty years?"

"Jeez, no pressure," muttered the twelve year old as her older brother figure winked at her, dribbling the ball between her feet. She made sure to avoid the other team as she made her way down the field.

"Go, Amu-chan," cheered their friends from the bleachers. Ran and Daichi were cheering as loudly as they could, looking proud that their bearers hadn't Chara Changed. "You can do it!"

"Way to go, Hinamori-san," called Tadase, waving a small banner with a small pink heart on it. She was temporarily distracted, blushing from the attention. Luckily, she was jarred from her fantasies when she realized someone had tried to steal the ball from her.

"Amu, shoot, shoot," exclaimed Kukai as he blocked an opponent. The pink haired girl looked up and saw that the goal was only a few feet away. She had passed several people so there weren't many players blocking the way. "Come on, you can do it!"

"Alright," murmured Amu under her breath, preparing to kick. "Here I go!" She placed as much force as she could into her kick, ignoring the throbbing pain in her ankle as she watched the ball shoot into the air.

Everybody on the field stopped, the clock slowly ticking by as it reached the last ten seconds, all eyes on the end goal. The two teams were tied and this last shot could determine the outcome. However, the kick wasn't aimed perfectly and it was from a distance farther than Amu was used to kicking from.

The goalie leaped into the air, trying to avoid getting hit in the head with the powerfully kicked ball, and leaned towards the side as he reached out for the ball that hurdled in his direction. His fingers grazed the ball as it whizzed by, but he could not successfully catch it. He fell to the ground with a thud as the whistle was blown, the ball whishing undisturbed into the net.

The crowd cheered and Amu stared at the goal in shock, deaf to the loud whoops from her teammates and was oblivious to the side hugs she was getting. She had done it. She had scored a goal and won the championship game…without the help of her Charas.

Kukai lifted the younger girl up in the air, spinning her around. This snapped her back into reality and she turned bright red as she demanded he let her down. He obeyed her command, ruffling her hair as he congratulated her before he let out a loud whoop and began high fiving their other teammates.

Amu giggled and turned to the bleachers where her friends were chanting her name, celebrating with the rest of the school. She began to laugh, not believing that she had even gotten on the soccer team…the soccer team that had just won! She began to congratulate the rest of her team and only protested a bit when they lifted her in the air, deciding to show off that the team that had been called weak for putting a girl on the field had won. She was propped up on Kukai's shoulder, who began chanting her name with the other guys.

Unknown to her, one of the rotten kids from the other team growled as he angrily picked up the soccer ball and glared at her. He should have won…it should have been him! He clenched the ball tightly, never feeling such hatred for a girl. Maybe if it had been that Souma guy, he could have dealt with it…but no, it was some stupid girl who had gotten lucky.

He felt something in him snap when he saw the girl on their shoulders, tossing the ball into the air and preparing a deathly kick. He wasn't aiming for anything particular but he was just so frustrated. All the pain and frustration he felt was sent into his kick, and the ball spiraled through the air as he finally stomped away. He only looked back when he heard people begin to shout with different tones.

His eyes widened when he realized that the ball he had just kicked had slammed into the pink haired girl, right in the head, and had knocked her down to the ground. He stood, paralyzed, as the Souma guy announced that she was out cold and that her breathing was different. Already, what he assumed was her family and friends were running over as somebody called the medics.

He did the only thing he could do. He ran from the scene.

The temperamental male had no idea what he had done.

…

It was so cold…that was Amu's first thought. Was somebody calling her name? She couldn't tell.

All she could tell was that her head hurt…a lot. She reached up to feel the lump on her head, wincing.

"Anyone get the number of that bus?" She murmured, cringing when somebody gasped loudly in her ear.

"Amu, you're awake," said the person, making a sound to indicate that they had stood and opened a door. "Doctor, she's awake!"

Slowly, the pink haired girl opened her eyes and drank in the scene she saw. She was in a white room with unfamiliar machines around her. The last thing she remembered was getting hit by a soccer ball and falling off of Kukai's shoulders.

She tried to sit up, confused as to why nobody else was in the room, but groaned and fell back against her pillows when her body ached with pain. Suddenly, a man with a white coat swept into the room followed by her parents…and Kukai? Why was here there? Well, he had been with her when she lost consciousness so…maybe he wanted to see her first?

"Hinamori-san, how are you feeling?" The doctor asked kindly.

"Um…confused?" Amu answered, already the memory of the event fading from her mind. "Why…why am I in this much pain? All that happened was I got hit in the head with a soccer ball…" She became worried when the room's occupants exchanged shocked looks. "Mama…?"

"Amu-chan, don't you remember what happened?" Her mother asked, her eyebrows furrowed together. The pink haired girl slowly shook her head, looking unsure, as Midori turned back to the doctor. "What's going on, Doctor?"

The man sighed, pushing up his glasses. "Hinamori-san, what is the last thing you remember?"

Amu blinked. "Um…I was playing at the championship game and I had just scored the winning shot…I was being lifted up on to Kukai's shoulders…and then somebody had kicked a ball and it hit me in the head, and I fell to the ground…why?" Kukai looked stricken and her parents looked up at the doctor. She noted that Ami wasn't there, but then again, she probably wouldn't have understood the situation.

"Amu-chan, you haven't played soccer since you were little," remarked Tsumugu, wringing his hands nervously.

"I believe I know what has happened," announced the doctor. "Hinamori-san, shortly before you were transferred here, you were diagnosed with a multiple personality disorder." Amu's eyes widened in shock. "It seemed as if you had gone temporarily unstable from the constant switching and you fell into a coma. From what you have said so far, it seems as if you have developed another universe and believed you were living in that dimension while unconscious. You have been lying here for over six months now."

Amu turned to her parents, disbelief in her eyes. "Is…is that true? I…I have a personality disorder?"

"No, it seems as if the disorder had disappeared when you fell into a coma," replied her mother, taking her hand. "My poor Amu…" The doctor turned back to his patient after a moment.

"Hinamori-san, your memory of that world should be fading at this time, correct?" He asked, writing something down as Amu nodded slowly. "Please, it would help if you could answer some basic questions about this world of yours."

"O-okay…"

"What was your full name and age?"

"Hinamori Amu…twelve years old…."

"Do you remember your birthday?"

"Um…September 24th…"

"What were the names of your direct family members?"

"My mother was Midori, my father was Tsumugu, and my younger sister was Ami…"

"And how old was your sister?"

"…three?"

"What school did you attend?"

"Seiyo Elementary…"

"Were you part of any clubs or sports?"

"Um…there was this group…called the Guardians, who represented the students of the school. We were all best friends…"

"What were the names of your friends?"

"…Hotori Tadase, Mashiro Rima, Fujisaki Nadeshiko, Fujisaki Nagihiko, Sanjo Kairi, Souma Kukai, Yuiki Yaya…"

"And were they the same age and grade as you?"

"I don't really…no, Kukai was a year older…Kairi was two years younger…and Yaya was a year younger…"

"Did you have any friends outside of this group, the 'Guardians'?"

"…I think their names were…Tsukiyomi Utau, but she went by the stage name of Hoshina Utau because she was an idol….and her brother, Ikuto. There was also…somebody else…a French girl…Lulu…something…"

"Were you in any relationships?"

"N-not officially, but I did have several crushes…mainly on Tadase and Ikuto though…"

"What was your life at school like?"

"Um…I had a bad habit of wearing a mask to hide my true feelings…people always called me Cool n' Spicy…I don't remember if I ever stopped doing that…"

"Did you have any rivals or enemies?"

"…um, there was this girl who Rima said was jealous of me…Yamabuki Saaya?"

"Was there anything out of the ordinary there that you found odd?"

"Um…there were these guardian characters…born from children's hearts…everybody who was a Guardian had at least one…they represented the bearer's desires and feelings…I think…"

"And how many of these guardians did you have?"

"…three…no, four…the last one came later on…"

"Do you remember their names, and what feelings they were born from?"

"I…I don't…Ran…she was born from wanting to be more athletic and honest, and girly…Miki…to be more artistic and levelheaded…Su…to be more motherly and caring…Dia…to be more confident…I'm pretty sure that's what it was…"

The doctor wrote all of this down, clicking his pen. "Thank you, Hinamori-san." He turned to her parents. "I advise you talk to her about this world of hers and discuss what is the same and what is different…I also strongly advise you take her to a psychiatrist or have her keep a journal about anything she can remember from both lives." He tore off a piece of paper and handed it to Midori. "This is a copy of the answers to the questions I had just asked. Other than this, Hinamori-san is perfectly healthy and can be discharged by tomorrow morning. I will give you all some time. I understand that this is all very sudden." He bowed before leaving the room quietly.

Amu turned to her parents. "I'm…so lost…" Her mother reached over and ran her hand over her daughter's face gently, tears in her golden eyes. "What's…what's different from my…world?"

"Firstly, your name really is Hinamori Amu," assured Midori. "And your father and I are called Tsumugu and Midori…however, you're not twelve. You're sixteen…your birthday was three months ago."

_So it's December now_, thought Amu.

"What else?" She asked, her voice growing stronger as she slowly sat up.

"Ami is actually ten years old," continued Tsumugu, wiping his own tears away. Why did this have to happen to his poor baby girl? "And she's not your only sibling. Your sister, Yaya, is fourteen. And Kukai here is really your older brother…he's seventeen, but in the same grade as you."

Amu was shocked by this revelation. It wasn't a lot of information but it was so different from the life she remembered…

"This is…a lot to take in," she said quietly, biting her lip.

Midori squeezed her hand comfortingly. "Why don't you rest for a bit and Kukai here can answer the rest of your questions on the paper while we talk with the doctor? Your sisters must be very worried out there…"

"R-Right," agreed the pink haired girl…no teenager. She was really sixteen, remember? Her parents gave her sad looks as they walked out of the room, trying to comfort each other as they talked quietly. Kukai swallowed hard when she looked over at him, grabbing one of the chairs and pulling it close to her bedside.

"Please tell you play soccer or some kind of sport," begged Amu, desperate for some anchor of truth. She felt some of her nerves dissolve when he smiled at her, despite how shaky it looked.

"Yeah, I'm on the soccer team," he replied and she let out a sigh of relief. "So, I guess I wasn't your brother in your world?"

"No, but you were just like one," said the pinkette, smiling. "You were really loud and persistent, not to mention dense at times, but you had your super supportive and intelligent moments too…" Kukai chuckled.

"I guess that's not too far off," he remarked before looking down at the paper. He swallowed again. "Um, so…do you want me to answer any more questions or is this too much right now?" It was definitely too much, but Amu needed to know everything before she lost her sanity.

"Let's get it over with," she replied, taking a deep breath. "In the order of the questions he asked, please tell me what's different and what's the same."

Her older brother took a deep breath as well as he read the list. "Um, well okay…let's go in order, you said? Well, you do go to Seiyo…but it's a high school, not an elementary school. There's no group of Guardian so…um, the people you listed are real…but the relationships can't be called 'best friends'…"

"What do you mean?" Amu asked, not realizing she was shaking. Those people were people she considered family. Were they just strangers in this life?

"Well…Mashiro-san doesn't exactly like you. I don't know what happened between you guys, but something happened a long time ago…Nadeshiko was best known for being Nagihiko's twin, but she was really just a disguise for Nagihiko since he was raised as a girl…"

"That makes a lot of sense," murmured the pinkette.

"Yeah, anyways, Nagi is one of your best friends…um, both of them are in the same grade as us…Sanjo is actually our next door neighbor and he's fourteen like Yaya. Like Mom said…Yaya and I are your siblings so that…is explained…"

"Go on," pressed Amu, getting used to these bombshells.

Kukai took another deep breath. "Okay…um, Hotori has been your boyfriend for the last few years…but he's not…a great guy…" Seeing her confused look, he explained, "I don't know how he was like in your world, Amu, but here, Hotori is a playboy that constantly cheats on you with other girls…but you never believe us or if you did, you still dated him…I mean, maybe things will change now…but…"

His sister shook her head. "In my world, he was a princely character of some kind…but go on. What are the others like?"

"Uh…not to be rude, but Saaya is the school slut and definitely one of the most popular girls there…and I don't think she even knows you exist…Lulu? The only Lulu I can think of is Lulu de Morcerf Yamamoto, an exchange student who sticks to the shadows and only talks to Utau…speaking of Utau, her real name is Hoshina Utau. She doesn't have any siblings and is heiress to the company, Easter. She is also one of the most popular girls at school and has been the girlfriend of Tsukiyomi Ikuto since middle school. All of them are in the same grade as you, except for Ikuto who's a senior."

"And…what about Ikuto?" Amu asked, afraid of the answer.

The brunette inhaled slowly. "Uh…that's kind of tricky. Ikuto was your childhood friend but something happened and you stopped talking to each other all of a sudden. Actually, it was around the same time Mashiro-san began to hate you as well. Uh, he's an only child and his family lives across the street from us. He's considered a prodigy on the violin but he hasn't played it in public for years. Like I said, Utau's his girlfriend but I don't know how since he never shows any interest in anybody…"

"That sounds like him," said the pinkette offhandedly, looking distracted. "About the other questions…"

"Right…" Kukai clicked his tongue nervously. "I already answered the relationship question; you're dating Hotori, but he constantly cheats on you…I don't know if you want to give the relationship a chance or not…anyways, I think you confessed to Ikuto when we were kids but I'm not sure if he took you seriously since it was so long ago…uh…" He ran a hand through his hair. "You're not…exactly…popular at school. It's not because of something you did; you were just the kind of person to stay in the background…I guess that rules out Saaya being a rival since she doesn't know you…"

"That's not such a bad thing," murmured Amu, crossing her arms as she sat up straighter. She ignored how her head was throbbing or how her stomach was about to eat her insides. This was important, after all. "I'm guessing the whole 'guardian character' thing isn't real?"

He half smiled. "Not real at all," he replied. "However…it's odd that you had four guardians considering…well, those names you stated are the names of your different personalities."

"Oh, then I guess I understand why they were named that then," stated Amu, her eyelids fluttering shut. "Sorry…you must be going through a lot too, Kukai." She settled back down, drifting back into the land of dreams. She felt somebody squeezing her arm gently, and she smiled lazily.

"It's okay, Amu; it's not your fault," replied her brother, leaning down and softly pressing his lips to her forehead. "I'm going to go see Mom and Dad now, okay?"

"…okay," whispered the pink haired teenager before she was asleep.

Kukai watched her for a few moments before he quietly stood and walked out into the waiting room, where his parents and Nagi were sitting. Tsukiyomi Souka was comforting Midori, who was crying into her hands, while Aruto was trying to cheer up Ami and Yaya. Ikuto stood off in the corner, looking as if he didn't care about anything. Nagi was wringing his hands when the brunette entered, jumping up like everybody else.

"How is she?" Nagi demanded, his eyes going wide when he noticed a few doctors slip into the very room Kukai had left.

The older male inhaled deeply. "She's perfectly fine; she just went to sleep."

"Couldn't that make her go back into a coma?" Yaya asked worriedly, tapping her foot rapidly as she stared at her older brother. She received surprised looks from the others, who obviously didn't expect her to think that far ahead, but she ignored them. She knew she had her moments, but she wasn't stupid…and she watched a lot of hospital dramas.

"No, the doctor said her brain waves are fine and that it's fine," piped up Midori, settling everybody's nerves.

"So…did you talk to her?" Ami asked, looking like she hadn't slept in weeks. She idolized her eldest sister, after all.

Kukai ran his hand through his hair again as he slumped into the vacant seat next to Nagihiko. "Yeah, I did. She looked so lost and confused, Mom…she didn't tell me much about this world she made up, but it was obviously very different from the one here. She thought Ami was her only sibling…she had been best friends with Mashiro-san, and she was twelve not sixteen…she wasn't dating Hotori…she thought Utau and Ikuto were siblings…" He buried his face in his hands, finally allowing himself to cry. His sister was in there and she barely knew them…she barely knew him, and that hurt considering they had always been so close. "It was like meeting a stranger…"

Nagi placed a hand on his friend's shoulder comfortingly, a sad expression on his face while Yaya and Ami sought comfort in each other. Souka and Aruto tried to comfort the distressed couple. And Ikuto finally looked up and stared at the door that blocked his view of the pink haired girl he had grown up with.

"Amu," he whispered, blinking back his own tears. "I'm sorry."

…

**I don't own Shugo Chara.**

**Okay, so I have NO idea where this idea came from…I just…wanted to write an AU story, I guess.**

**So…lots of things are going on here that definitely did not happen in the series! Who knows where this will lead? Not me…kind of winging it, like usual…**

**Anyways, don't hesitate to tell me about any mistakes you found or what you really thought about this!**


	2. Chapter 2

…

"Okay, this is definitely not the family car," deadpanned Amu, crossing her arms as she stared at the expensive and sleek looking Porsche that her parents had just walked her to. She was relieved she was discharged and could leave, desperate to figure out what her actual life was like, but she didn't expect her dad's beat up van to be switched to such a nice car.

"What are you talking about?" Yaya asked as she slipped into the back. "This is just one of the cars we take since there are so many of us." Ami patted her arm sympathetically as she slid in with the older girl.

Amu grabbed the soccer player's arm, reeling him back. "You never mentioned we were rich," she hissed, still eyeing the fancy car. From the corner of her eye, she saw the Tsukiyomi family get into their own expensive car. She already knew Nagi had been rich in her fantasy land and she wasn't surprised to see him get into another fancy car. "That would have been nice to know! What the hell do our parents do to earn this much money? And what does she mean _one _of our cars?"

"Amu, slow down," interrupted Kukai, laughing. "Firstly, it's not a big deal to have a lot of money in this town. It's kind of like Beverly Hills, or whatever that place is in America…and I didn't think it would be important enough to mention it. Uh, dad's a famous photographer that does a lot of portraits for things like weddings and stuff. Mom is an editor for a famous magazine and does a lot of motherly things, like homemade cookbooks and housewife advice."

"Oh, well great," muttered the pinkette, remembering those were exactly the things that people thought her parents had done in her fantasy word.

"And to your last question, I'm seventeen years old; did you really think I wouldn't be able to get my license?" Kukai questioned. "You have yours too, but…considering you thought you were twelve, it's probably not the greatest idea to let you drive anytime soon."

"Even if I did consider myself sixteen, I would probably crash the car," murmured Amu, crossing her arms. "So I'm riding with you? Where's your car?"

"Ah, I don't really have a car," admitted Kukai, grabbing her by the hand and leading her to another part of the parking lot. His sister nearly ran away, her eyes bulging.

"No way am I getting on a motorcycle," she exclaimed, shaking her head in protest. He raised an eyebrow, throwing a leg over the bike as he slipped his black helmet over his head.

"Suit yourself; you can always walk ten miles to a place you don't even know," replied Kukai, grinning when she reluctantly took the white helmet he gave her and climbed on as well. Her arms slowly snaked around his waist as he started the engine. "Hold on because I won't go easy!" Amu didn't get a chance to reply as he revved off, the wind blowing in their faces even though the visors were down. She tightened her grip around him, burying her face in his shoulder as he laughed.

"You're mean, laughing at me," stated the pinkette, which only made him laugh more.

"Oh, lighten up, Amu," he replied as they turned into a neighborhood, passing several houses. Finally, Kukai slowed down and braked in front of a two story mansion. Amu gaped. This was definitely not what she had imagined. "You look pale; are you okay?"

"Just…not what I was expecting," she replied, taking his hand as she numbly got off of the motorcycle. "This is really where we live? It's huge; it's like a hotel!"

Kukai chuckled at her expression. "Most people say that. On the right, that's the Sanjo house where Kairi lives. The left is the Mashiro household, but I guess…it's not that important…since you're not friends…" He cleared his throat awkwardly. "And uh, like I said, the Tsukiyomi family lives directly across the street."

"What do their families do?" Amu asked, struggling to take the helmet off. He gently removed her hands, helping her.

"Ah, well, Yukari is Kairi's older sister and she is an employee of Easter," replied Kukai, slipping the helmet off of her head. "She actually manages Utau, who is aiming to become an idol."

"Okay, so that hasn't really changed," noted Amu as she fixed her hair. "What about their parents?"

"Separated a few years ago and neither of them wanted to take care of Kairi so his sister took him in," stated the brunette as he led her inside. She froze, gaping at the gleaming corridor. He shook his head, chuckling, as he took her into the living room. It looked modern and yet so comfortable. "As for the Mashiro family, her parents just work really hard; they don't do anything major. Tsukiyomi Souko is a music teacher and does a lot of singing lessons. Her husband, Aruto, is a famous violinist that retired from this travelling orchestra a few years ago. Ikuto naturally plays violin as well as his dad since his family practically oozes music. I'm pretty sure that's why Utau is so hung up on him; she thinks they're soul mates or something."

Amu raised an eyebrow, watching as he flopped down on the couch. He had a frown on his face. "Kukai…by any chance, did you use to have things like ramen eating challenges with her once upon a time?" He looked at her in shock. "I'll take that as a yes…you two were practically dating in my fantasy, you know. You actually helped her get over the brother complex she had on Ikuto."

"Well, I don't think that's the issue here," muttered Kukai, crossing his arms as their mother entered the room.

"Kukai, don't put your feet on my coffee table," warned Midori. "And I told you to go help your dad mow the lawn!"

"Right, I also forgot to mention that even though we have a few maids and stuff, we still do household chores," said Kukai, groaning as he stood. "Alright, alright; I'm going." He kissed his mother on the cheek before dashing out.

Midori turned to the pink haired teenager, who looked utterly lost. She smiled gently at her. "Amu, your room is on the second floor. It's the one with the black door and pink doorknob. Feel free to dig around if you want to."

"T-Thanks," replied Amu, still looking lost as she slowly walked back out into the corridor and began to climb the spiral staircase.

She wasn't that surprised to see a long hallway that sent a chill down her spine. It looked as if all of the kids' rooms were on this ground. She guessed the rainbow painted one was Yaya's, the white one with the star and idol poster was Ami's, the green one with cleats on the doorknob was Kukai's, and finally hers was at the end of the hallway.

Cautiously, Amu opened the door and looked at the room in surprise. Her room back in her fantasy had been a normal girl's room. This room…was definitely not normal for a teenage girl with a personality disorder. The walls were plain black with no decorations and everything was in place, like nobody lived in it. That alone should have been considered weird for a teenager.

There wasn't much to it. A twin sized bed was next to the glass stained window, and the sheets were a dark pink with white polka dots and the pillows were simply white. The carpet was a cream color. A white desk and matching bookshelf was in the corner, and there were two white dressers on the opposite side, along with a closet on the other side of the door like it had been in her fantasy. A computer screen was on the desk and other than a black notebook on top of it, there was nothing to indicate the room was even lived in.

Amu slowly closed the door behind her and walked inside, looking around. She wondered what she had been like in this world. The best place was to start was the computer, right?

She walked over to the desk, gently moving the mouse to get the computer out of sleep mode. To her dismay, there was a password box. Deciding not to bother, she reached for the notebook instead and opened it to the first page as she sat on her bed.

_**12 May**_

_**So, today Yaya got me this diary. She said, "Yaya-chan wants onee-chan to express her feelings with somebody!"**_

_**Hm, not sure how to react to that. I know I don't really have any friends, but still. I'm kind of insulted…I guess I'm stuck writing in it? **_

_**Oh, yeah. The doctor diagnosed me with a 'personality disorder' so now there's that to deal with. I guess that explains the blackouts and memory losses…I hope it isn't too bad. I'm already a loser; I don't want to be mental either.**_

_**- Amu**_

…

_**13 May**_

_**Dear Diary,**_

_**Today was super fun! I wanted to try out for the cheerleading team, but there were no open positions when I got there. I don't know why, but Utau-chan was giving me a weird look when I came in. She knows we used to do all sorts of gymnastics and stuff as kids, so I don't know why she thought it was so weird. She even scowled at me when I tried to ask her what was wrong.**_

_**Maybe she had a bad day? **_

_**Oh, and guess what? I saw Ikuto-kun today too. When did he start dating Utau-chan? I'm happy for them though, even though I wanted to confess.**_

_**What a beautiful day!**_

_**- Ran**_

_**P.S. I don't really like how light my hair is. Maybe I should dye it a shade darker?**_

…

_**14 May**_

_**Dear Lola (teehee, that's what I'm calling you now),**_

_**Today was really nice. The sky was so sunny; it was perfect for the school picnic. I would have gone, but I spent all day making the sweets and other food with the rest of the kitchen staff. It was really nice, doing something to help out.**_

_**Oh, Kairi-kun with Yaya today. She kept running in and out of the kitchen, and he was with her at one time. When she went back out, she reached for his hand. That'd be so cute if they were really dating. I think he likes her a lot, but is too shy to ask. **_

_**Hm, it's not really my business but I want to ask if she likes him back…**_

_**Should I? Maybe I can suggest to Yaya to make some sweets for him. Oh, speaking of little sisters, Ami had her school musical today. She sang beautifully, of course. **_

_**Speaking of beautiful, my hair didn't look right today, no matter how many times I tried to style it. Maybe I should dye it? I think a light green or a blondish color would look pretty.**_

_**- Su**_

…

_**15 May**_

_**Hey. **_

_**I don't know why I write in this thing. It's kind of girly to have a diary, isn't it?**_

_**Anyways, today was kind of weird. I showed up to art class and everybody was giving me weird looks, as if I didn't belong there. Whatever; they can think what they want because I know I can draw well. They don't know me enough to judge.**_

_**I didn't talk to anybody unless I had to. I should say that I'm not exactly social. I like to do my own thing, which explains why I ate lunch alone on the roof today. Nobody looked for me, so I guess they don't care either.**_

_**I saw Tadase today. He didn't talk to me at all, not that I really minded. I passed him in the hallway; he was leaning in close to that Saaya girl and grinning at her. It's obvious that they've been seeing each other or "hanging out" and "having fun".**_

_**I didn't realize putting small things in loose bags of uselessness was deemed fun. **_

_**I don't know why I'm dating him, to be honest. Are we even dating? We don't see each other often or talk much. I think I'll officially end things next time I see him. Or at least find a new boyfriend to show I'm not interested in being his second plaything.**_

_**I guess that's everything worth mentioning. Oh, I need to go shopping; the clothes in my closet are definitely not in style. Speaking of style, I should probably dye my hair; the pink is too girly for me. Maybe a nice blue color? Not dark blue like Ikuto's, but blue like the sky.**_

_**- Miki**_

…

_**16 May**_

_**Dear Journal, **_

_**Nothing much happened today to me. **_

_**I went to school and was confused when I found out I didn't have chorus. Or rather, the right chorus class. According to my counselor, I should be in Advanced Chorus but I was placed in the regular class. I was horrified to learn that I was actually failing that class. **_

_**I know there are other singers out there that shine brighter than me, like Utau, but my singing is above average. I should at least be in Advanced Chorus, but I guess there are reasons for why I'm not.**_

_**Hm, what else happened today? **_

_**Tadase-kun confronted me today, asking why I haven't called him. I didn't get a chance to respond before he roughly kissed me, groping me and making me uncomfortable, and said not to forget our "deal". He walked away before I could ask him about that. **_

_**Why am I dating him? He's not good for my character and he clearly doesn't have actual feelings for me; if he did, he wouldn't be out with those other girls. I know he's cheating on me; I can smell other girls' perfume on him whenever he gets close, sometimes I see lipstick on his neck or on the side of his face, his clothes are never put on right, he carries that grin around like he owns the place, and I even caught him kissing some girl in the hallway when I left class for the bathroom.**_

_**I should be honest about it and break it off with him. But what about that "deal" he mentioned? Should I be worried? I guess it's nothing majorly urgent if I'm free of any signs of abuse…but I should keep an eye on him, just in case.**_

_**Also, I know teenagers are insecure about themselves, but I've always been pretty confident about my looks. Today was different; I looked in the mirror and wondered why the pink hair didn't feel right. Should I dye it (maybe orange) or style it differently (pigtails would look cute)? Maybe I should do both?**_

_**No, Mother Nature created me like this for a reason so I should be happy with how I look.**_

_**- Dia**_

…

_**20 May**_

_**I guess the last four entries are enough proof that I really am mental.  
**_

_**If any of my "other selves" are reading this, I'll tell you why I'm dating Tadase. He's a good guy, even if he doesn't act like it. I had a crush on him in elementary school but never confessed until eighth grade. He accepted my feelings but he's such a popular guy, he couldn't hurt his reputation by being seen with me, so we keep our relationship secret.**_

_**I hope we can change that soon.**_

_**- Amu**_

…

Amu flipped through the rest of the diary, absorbing the information given to her from her other selves. Slowly, the rest of her memories returned and she remembered why she was. She could also remember her other life in the "Shugo Chara" world, as she liked to call it, so it hurt her head.

She learned that Nagihiko had a major crush on Rima, but he never confessed to her because the two girls hated each other. Amu vowed to fix her relationship with the little blonde, though she had no idea how to since she didn't even know _why _they hated each other.

She also learned that Yaya and Kairi really were dating, having gotten together a week before Amu fell into a coma. Ami got offered a scholarship to a performing school in America, but rejected it because she didn't want to be separated from her friends and family. Kukai and Utau had once been boyfriend and girlfriend, but broke it off because of unknown reasons. Shortly after the breakup, Amu had gotten together with Tadase and Utau started dating Ikuto.

As for her other selves…let's just say Amu was glad she had been cured of her personality disorder. Her split personalities were exactly like her Charas, so they naturally caused some mischief for her.

The pink haired girl wasn't sure what she was going to do. She wanted to fix her relationships, like with Rima and Ikuto, and find out these mysterious things that were never said, like why she was _really_ dating Tadase, and do the thing she had been aiming for back in "Shugo Chara".

She was going to find her true self, and show people she was a force to be reckoned with.

Amu nodded as she closed the book, a determined expression on her face. "Yeah, I'll definitely find my true self and fix this mess!" She didn't know which one was the real world, her coma-induced fantasy or the life she was living now, but her goal was the same.

_Look out world; the real Hinamori Amu is about to shine!_

…

**I don't own Shugo Chara.**

**So…yeah. That's about it…we see how Amu really lives. Not much to this chapter; don't worry though. There will be fated meetings coming soon. **

**Hm, why IS Amu dating Tadase? Something fishy is going on there…I wonder what? No seriously, even I don't know…like I said, I kind of wing it.**

**Anyways, don't hesitate to tell me about any mistakes you found or what you really thought about the chapter!**


	3. Chapter 3

…

"…so, please welcome back our fellow student, Hinamori Amu," said the principal, even though nobody was listening. She sighed and waved her hand just as the bell rang, and everybody scampered off as she turned to the pinkette. "I apologize, Hinamori-san, for their lack of attention. Would you like a copy of your schedule?"

"Yes, please," replied Amu, sticking her hands in her back pocket. Seiyo High School didn't have a school uniform, and the clothes in her closet weren't her style, so she had gone shopping with Yaya and Ami the other day. She decided on not overdoing it, so she wore a simple pair of black skinny jeans and dark red tank top under a black sweater with black flats.

"I thought you might, so I had a copy already made," remarked the principal, taking a piece of paper off of the podium and handing it to her. "Now, do you need any help finding your classes?"

"Uh, no thanks," declined the pinkette politely.

"Now, I've already informed all of your teachers about your situation so you won't get in trouble if you can't keep up with the course," added the principal. "Ah, the second bell will ring in a few minutes. You must want to get to your locker and find your classes, right? Let me know if you have any troubles."

"Thanks," replied Amu, grabbing her bag and walking out of the auditorium. She had spoken with her siblings earlier and declined their help, saying she wasn't disabled and that she did remember a majority of her actual life. Yaya had looked concerned but dropped the subject, going off with Kairi, while Kukai had just told her to come to him if she had any problems.

The pink haired teenager passed several people, deciding to ignore them all. She glanced at her schedule and saw she had Art first. The classroom was on the third floor so she turned sharply and climbed up the stairs to get to her destination. When she entered, she saw that some people were already there.

"Ah, Hinamori-san, welcome back," greeted the teacher. "Take a seat anyplace you would like." Amu immediately made her way to the seat in the back, towards the window. She ignored how a few people gasped quietly, settling in the seat as the bell rang. The rest of the class shuffled in, most of them talking to somebody else. Amu was getting her things out when the light was blocked, making her look up.

She knew that it was Saaya; she looked the same as she did in Shugo Chara, but older and curvier. A sneer was on her lips as she crossed her arms.

"And what are _you _doing in _my _seat?" She demanded, looking down at the pinkette in disgust. Amu rested her cheek on her fist, staring boredly at the auburn haired girl.

"Sitting; what else would I be doing?" She replied, and couldn't help but roll her eyes when several people gasped.

"She's standing up to Saaya-sama?"

"What nerve!"

"I know she went mental, but who does she think she is?"

"I _think _I'm Hinamori Amu, as in, the girl who can hear you talk like I'm not in the room with you," said the pinkette coldly, turning to some of the gossipers. They blushed brightly and turned around, clearly intimidated by the look in her eyes. This wasn't the weak loner they had known before! Amu turned back to Saaya. "Anyways, this seat doesn't have your name on it, does it? Go sit somewhere else."

The other girl was about to retort when the teacher cleared his throat, making her scowl and sulk towards the vacant seat in the front. Amu couldn't help but smirk as she leaned back in her chair. Her Cool n' Spicy façade came in handy when it came to annoying people.

"Alright, today we will be working individually," started the teacher. "You will have to create an original story within a drawing without using any speech or words at all. The story can be about anything, as long as it is an original idea. You may use any form of drawing, such as painting it or simply sketching it. I will examine what you have created at the end of the class period." He was interrupted by somebody knocking out the door, asking if he could help a student in the hallway. "You may begin," he said before walking out.

"I know what Amu can draw," started Saaya loudly, snickering with her friends. "She can draw a stick figure with a frown with nobody else around her. Her story? It can be about a freaky loser who isn't liked by everyone." She began to cackle, and others snickered as well.

"Sorry, was that supposed to be funny?" Amu asked flatly once the laughter died down, staring straight at the auburn haired girl. "Hm, you're not very good at anything but having your legs in the air, are you?" She smirked when Saaya's face turned red, turning back to her canvas as she thought about what to draw.

She heard somebody chuckle, and she turned her head to the side. Rima was sitting in the seat next to her, her hand covering her mouth as she shook silently. The little blonde was laughing.

Amu smiled softly as she picked up her pencil, knowing what she wanted to draw. She began to work furiously, with no more interruptions from Saaya or anybody else.

At the end of the class, she stood up and presented her painting. She was delighted to discover she had Miki's talent, having drawn each of the Charas surrounding the Humpty Lock and Dumpty Key.

"How lovely, Hinamori-san," remarked the teacher, writing down something before he looked back up. "Can you tell us what the story is behind your painting?"

"Some people like to wear a mask to hide their true selves because they're embarrassed and want to be something else," started the pinkette, her topaz eyes locked on Rima's, who stared at her. "Some people act like kind princes when they want to be assertive kings, or they want to dance like any other beautiful girl and be just like any guy at the same time. Some people act cold and heartless when they want to be honest and girly, or artistic and levelheaded, or motherly and sweet, and still shine radiantly. Some people act cold and heartless when they really want to be the person who cracks jokes and reads gag manga in their free time." Amu looked away from the blonde and back towards her teacher.

"So these are the characters they want to be, but are not because they hide behind their masks," she finished. "And it is up to them to unlock their hearts and find their true selves."

"What a marvelous and original take," exclaimed the teacher after a moment of silence, the class staring at her in shock. Rima's eyes were wide as she stared at the pinkette. "I think Hinamori-san certainly passes! Thank you for presenting." He didn't continue as the bell rang, people scurrying to get their things. "Alright, we will finish presenting next class. You can just leave your paintings here."

Amu sat hers against the window gently before grabbing her bag and walking out of the classroom. She didn't look back or even notice that Rima hadn't moved from her spot.

…

"Ugh, I have gym at the end of the day?" Amu groaned, looking at the schedule. It was a mixed class too, so both the seniors and juniors would be together. With her luck, she would probably be stuck with Ikuto. Not that she necessarily minded, but she still had no idea what had happened between them.

After art class, she had been confronted by Nagi, who gave her a warm welcome and walked with her to the history class they shared. He was also in her music class, and Rima had been in both her science and math classes. Yaya and Kukai shared her lunch while Nagi did not, so she ate with her siblings. Rima also had the same lunch, but obviously ate at a different table. Tadase and Kukai were both in her math class, like Rima, but the former ignored her while the latter had made a big show of embarrassing his sister. Ikuto had been in her drama class, as well as Utau, but they didn't speak to her at all. Utau, Nagi, Rima, and Kukai were all in her Language Arts class. Ikuto was both in her French and English classes.

And it seemed the violinist was also in her gym class, just like she had suspected. For once, she wanted her hunches to be wrong!

Amu stood near the track awkwardly in her gray running shorts and white T-shirt, which consisted of the gym uniform, though she obviously didn't show how uncomfortable she was since she was wearing her mask. To outsiders, she looked bored with her hip jutted out and crossed arms.

The gym teacher didn't care what you did; as long as you showed up, you passed the class. Nobody complained.

Suddenly, somebody grabbed her shoulders from behind and her mask shattered as she shrieked while spinning around to look at her attacker. The pinkette scowled when she realized it was Kukai, who was doubled over laughing.

"Don't do that, you jerk," she snapped, trying to get her heart rate back to normal. The brunette pretended to wipe away a tear as he straightened.

"Sorry, but you were pretty much asking for it, just standing there," exclaimed Kukai, grinning at her. "Come on; you look so bored! Play soccer with me, or let's race around the track!"

"No thanks," deadpanned Amu, crossing her arms stubbornly. "I technically haven't played soccer since we were kids, and I don't feel like falling on my face in front of everybody."

"Why would you care?" Her brother retorted. "I heard the rumors; you're definitely destroying that small reputation of a loner and creating a new one as a super cool chick, aren't you?"

"Well, I don't enjoy people thinking they can insult me without getting hit back," said the pinkette as he grabbed her hand, dragging her to the track. "Hey, I already said I'm not racing you!"

"Okay, but if you don't, I'll just do my special move," warned Kukai, making her raise an eyebrow. "It's called… 'Running Dash'!"

"Okay, okay, I'll race you," replied Amu quickly, panicking. The brunette grinned at her smugly as they readied themselves. "One lap, right?"

"Yeah," agreed Kukai. "Ready…set…go!" They took off. Amu surprised both of them by being just as quick as he was. She clearly had lots of exercising to do, since she felt tired quickly, but it confirmed that she had the abilities of her other selves.

They passed several people, who stopped what they were doing and stared at her in surprise. The students knew Hinamori Kukai was definitely a sports star, and his sister, Yaya, was pretty energetic and could do athletic things pretty easily if she actually tried, but all Amu had done in school was sit in the corner and barely make it by while being harassed by her peers.

The rumors had flown all day, and those who were skeptical of the loner's sudden change now believed their friends. The pink haired teenager had stood out for her looks, but she was so uncool and an easy target for the meaner kids that she was basically a loser at school. She barely spoke to anybody and failed at nearly everything.

Then one day, she showed up with a grin and cheerfully greeted everybody while parading in her girly clothes. People were baffled by that, but let it slide as they assumed she was taking anti-depressants or some kind of special medicine.

The next day, she showed up with a cool expression like she didn't care about their opinions and made the others feel like they were on different levels. Rumor was that she was the one who had painted the school mural next to the library, but she seemed confused when one person questioned her about it the next day.

Speaking of the next day, she had shown up with a basket of cookies and gave them out to everybody while wishing them a nice day. She gave her lunch to a kid who had been bullied and robbed of his own lunch, tending to the cut on his face like a mother. People began to wonder if she was bipolar.

And then, the fourth day, she came into school with a confident expression. She smiled at people she passed by in the hallway but didn't go out of her way to talk to them. She was caught singing in the girls' locker room later that day, and instead of being embarrassed, she had merely giggled and told the catchers that she was just being herself. Her classmates were beyond confused when the pinkette returned to her gloomy self the next day.

They hadn't been listening very well during the morning announcements, but they caught snippets of the speech. Apparently, she had a personality disorder and that's why she seemed so bipolar the last year or so. The said personality disorder had also apparently driven her insane and she had fallen into a coma from all the stress the disability had put on her.

During the coma, she had also apparently come up with this fantasy world and temporarily lost her memory of reality. After six months of being unconscious, she had woken up disoriented and barely remembered who she was. On the bright side, some people said, her personality disorder had been cured so she didn't constantly switch moods and personalities.

However, it looked as if some of the personality traits had stuck around. She was distant, like she had been originally. She was playful and energetic, like the first girl. She was levelheaded and cool, like the second girl. She was polite and sweet, like the third girl. She was also confident, like the fourth girl.

And, in that one day she had returned to their school, her previous reputation was shattered and she began to climb to the top like any other new girl. Obviously, some people like Saaya and Utau, weren't too pleased about this and continued to treat her like they did previously. Others, particularly the boys, were excited by this change and hoped to see more of this new Hinamori Amu.

One blue haired male was one of these people, and he watched her race around the track with her brother from afar. His normally stoic and emotionless expression morphed into a softer one, a small smile on his grin. He had never felt such regret and guilt like he did when she had fallen into a coma, and never such relief and happiness when his mother announced she had woken up. He knew about her situation, but that didn't change his opinion about her. Maybe he could use this to his advantage and rebuild the relationship they had before everything had gotten so messed up. It helped that some of her former personality shone all throughout the day; he had heard the rumors and fully believed she would completely change the school if she continued like she was doing. His sapphire eyes continued to watch the beautiful head of pink on the track, amused by the determined look on her face as she struggled to keep up with her brother.

"There's the Amu I know," he said quietly.

Sitting on the bleachers was two annoyed girls. They had been the talk of the school the previous day, making fun of those below them (especially the disabled girl in a coma), and now their weakest target was suddenly putting them in their places and taking over the school.

Saaya dug her perfectly manicured nails into her kneecaps, glaring viciously at the head of pink hair whizzing around the track. She would never admit it, but she had been secretly impressed by the fashion choice Amu had worn today. It was so different from the usual jeans and sweats she normally wore. And then she had realized the hotshot was in her seat, doing her best not to punch the pinkette when she coolly dismissed her like _she _was the recessive one. And her fan club had not helped, constantly gossiping about what the great Hinamori Amu had done all day. Oh, she was definitely going to take that Hinamori Amu down.

"Watch your back, Hinamori," she growled.

If looks could kill, the one Utau was giving in Amu's direction would definitely kill more than just her target. As kids, Utau had always been the shining star while Amu was just a cute accessory. That didn't change over the years, and Utau made sure that she was always ahead of the pinkette. She made Advanced Chorus, not Amu. She was the star of the middle school musical, not Amu. She was the pretty one, not Amu. She put down others, not Amu. She had even gotten Ikuto, and not Amu! Sure, she felt slightly bad when she learned her childhood friend had developed mental issues and fell into a coma, but it wasn't her problem. It wasn't as if they were friends anymore. And they would never be friends again, especially now that Amu was starting to shine more.

"I won't lose to you, Hinamori Amu," hissed Utau.

And finally, somewhere in the back of the boys' locker rooms, Tadase sat on one of the benches with a scowl. He had just finished his 'appointment' with some girl from his history class, but all he could think about was his girlfriend. He had always been the dominant one in their relationship, making sure not to leave room for her to think otherwise. She was weak and meek, so it wasn't that much of a problem. So far, he hadn't used his blackmail material on her since there was no need. With her suddenly gaining confidence and a strong reputation, that could change. He growled under his breath, his nails digging into his palm and drawing blood. He would _not _let her escape and undo all the hard work he had done over the years. If she did that, not only would he look like a fool, but she would definitely get Ikuto as well. And that was something he did not want.

"I will not lose anything, especially her, to Tsukiyomi Ikuto," he vowed.

Meanwhile, Amu began to laugh as she crossed the finish line. She had lost, but she didn't really mind. It was fun, racing like that. It was especially fun because she knew people were gaping and gossiping, but she didn't really care like she would have back in her fantasy. This was reality, after all, and Amu was definitely going to start acting like she lived in it.

"Whoo, I haven't been challenged like that since…well, ever," exclaimed Kukai, laughing as he collapsed onto the grass. His sister fell besides him, her face red as she tried to catch her breath. "That was fun; we should do it again soon."

"Psh, maybe after I hit the gym," retorted Amu, wiping the sweat off of her forehead with the back of her hand. "And then, once I'm in shape, we can play that game of soccer."

Her brother turned his head, eyebrows raised as he ignored how people were obviously trying to eavesdrop. "Really, you mean that?"

The pink haired teenager nodded, looking up at the sky. The bell was going to ring soon and they could go home in a matter of minutes. "Yeah…" She smirked. "But don't think I'll go easy on you just because we're related." A gleam formed in his lime green eyes as he laughed, vaguely noting how people stared at her in shock.

"Same goes to you," he replied. "Be warned, I haven't lost a game in over six years."

"Hm, well, that's going to change very soon," said Amu cockily just as the bell rang, making her groan and stand. "Well, hurry up and go change so you can take me home."

Her brother chuckled, quickly standing and running to the locker rooms. He wasn't the only one delighted by her change, but he wasn't unaware of those who weren't. This was just the tip of the iceberg, though, and he couldn't wait to sit back and watch the rest of the events unfold.

…

**I don't own Shugo Chara!  
**

**So…hm…don't know what to say…**

**Oh, to ****blackbunbunsan****: the diary entries ended with Ran, Miki, Su, and Dia because those were the names of the different personalities Amu had. That was stated in the first chapter.**

**And thanks to ****Rei Star**** for correcting me on Ikuto's mother's name. **

**To the rest of you, thanks for reviewing and I'm so happy you guys like it so far!**

**Okay, so obviously, Tadase, Utau, and Saaya are bad guys in my story. Utau may or may not end up with Kukai, and she may or may not become actual friends with Amu and be all nice again. I don't know; she's just a villain at the moment, or rather, one of the villains. Obviously, Tadase is one of the main villains.**

**Don't ask me what the "deal" and "blackmail material" is because like I said, I'm purely winging it so I have no idea yet.**

**Anyways, don't hesitate to tell me about any mistakes you found or what you really thought about this chapter!**


	4. Chapter 4

…

Yaya stared at her older sister in surprise. While the pink haired teenager had been in a coma, she had stuck to their brother like glue. The fourteen year old had been upset that her own sister couldn't consider her close enough to be comforted, but understood this was a troubling time for her and decided to be upbeat for her sake.

She expected Kukai to be the one who answered all of Amu's questions on what was fantasy and what was reality, so she wasn't prepared when the sixteen year old knocked on her bedroom door. And not just figuratively; she had been in the middle of changing from her shower.

Adjusting the buttons on her pajama shirt, Yaya stepped aside and let her older sister in her room. "Um…so…was there anything you wanted to talk about, Amu?"

"I know you weren't my sister in my fantasy," started Amu carefully, shifting awkwardly as she sat on the bed. She vaguely noted how there were dozens of idol posters on the walls and stuffed animals all over. "But you were pretty close to one…and um, you were always the person who had the inside dirt on somebody…"

"That sounds like me," agreed Yaya shamelessly, sitting next to her. "Let me guess; you want to know what happened between you and Rima, and Ikuto, and everybody else? You want to know why you're dating Tadase and what blackmail he has on you?"

The pinkette blushed, not hiding her surprise as she nodded. "Yeah, how did you…?"

The younger girl sighed, falling back on her bed as she stared at the ceiling. She was never the mature one in the family, but she wasn't so childish that she couldn't grow up for a while. "Like you said, I'm the person who has the dirt on everyone. I have this bad habit of getting into other people's business. Unfortunately, I can't tell you too much since the people you wonder about are terribly secretive."

"Well, what _can _you tell me?" Amu questioned, not accusingly, just curious.

Yaya sighed again. "All I know is that Tadase confessed to you and then suddenly, you and Rima weren't friends anymore. It was so sudden, many people wondered if you had ever been friends. A few days later, you and Ikuto stopped hanging out too. It wasn't too long before you and Tadase started to officially date, and soon, Ikuto and Utau were dating as well."

"That's what I've been hearing," remarked Amu, frustrated. "It all leads back to Tadase somehow, I know. Do you have any idea what blackmail he has on me, or what the 'deal' we made is about?"

The brunette shot up, staring wide-eyed at her sister. "You made a deal with Tadase?"

"Well, it was before I fell into a coma, so I don't know everything but yes," replied the pinkette. "I guess you don't know, then."

"No," agreed Yaya, looking worried. "But this is bad, Amu. Only those who are really desperate make deals with Tadase. They want something and he can get it…for a price. His prices are not money, but something he wants in return. I remember a classmate of mine, Rikka, needed to find a way to pay off her parents' debt because they ran away and left her so she went to Tadase for help. He agreed to find her money, but the price was that she had to have sex with him. And this was when he was fourteen and she was twelve! It completely ruined her reputation, but he found her a job…as a private adult film star for these gangly old guys in America!"

Amu shrieked in horror, looking appalled as her hands flew to her mouth. "Is that true? Didn't the police do anything?"

Her sister shook her head ruefully. "She did it all willingly to pay for her parents' debts, which did get paid off, so the police can't charge her for anything, especially now that she's a citizen of America. Plus, Tadase's got connections with nearly everybody and could easily escape charges."

"What, he has that much power?" Amu exclaimed, stunned. She knew that Kiseki represented Tadase's desire to be controlling and have more power, but she never expected it to be like this. "That…that's awful! Why would I ever go to him? What the hell could this deal be?"

Yaya shrugged, though she had a pensive expression. "I don't know, Amu, but I suggest you find out right away. Tadase will figure out that you're not the same girl he had control of and will lie to you to make sure you don't leave him. And if you break up with him, which would make more than just our family relieved, you should be extremely careful. He's not used to that sort of thing and might react badly."

"Well, it's better he's miserable than me," replied the pinkette confidently, standing with a determined expression. "Thanks, Yaya, for your help." She hugged her sister quickly, not noticing how she stiffened slightly, before running out of the room.

Slowly, a smile crept onto Yaya's features. It wasn't a sweet smile though; rather it was wicked and terrifying. Not only was this a major scoop, it would be revenge on the man who had ruined one of her best friends and her sister as well. And she would enjoy every single second of it.

…

Amu looked through her room, searching for any clue to indicate anything she had with Tadase. She was about to give up when she spotted the computer, which she still hadn't bothered to unlock. But…it would help if she did, right?

The teenager plopped down on the chair, moving the mouse to get the computer out of sleep mode. The password entry key popped up and she tried the first password, which was her birthday. No luck.

She tried everything she could come up with, even random words from the dictionary, and was ready to quit after half an hour. Then she realized she had been typing nonsense and not anything sentimental. Yes, she had tried her family's names, friends' names, birthdays, and Charas, but she had forgotten something important. Something that had been clearly important to her before she fell in a coma.

Slowly, Amu typed the letters in.

_Tsukiyomi Ikuto_

_**The password you have inputted is incorrect.**_

Wait, didn't Amu try to confess to Ikuto before? What did lovesick girls normally do? They wrote their names together, didn't they? Blushing, Amu tried again.

_Tsukiyomi Amu_

_**Welcome back, Amu.**_

Oh, she was definitely not telling anyone her password.

The background loaded, revealing a picture of when she was young. Amu was surprised, but also comforted (and amused) by seeing an irritated looking five year old pinkette smashing an ice cream cone onto the head of a surprised blue haired six year old.

"Oh, he must have been trying to pull a prank on me," she reasoned, opening the internet browser. If there was any way to find out what a person was like, it was definitely searching their browser history.

She opened the first file under the history tab, which took her to website that described the personality disorder. Amu frowned, realizing that she must have gotten impatient with her disorder.

She clicked on the next file, which took her YouTube. She curiously opened the history folder, only to find music videos and odd online dances.

It was like that for a while, and Amu wondered if there was a point to searching when there was nothing on the computer that helped her at all. The only thing she learned was that she had been depressing and lonely, since there was no social media anywhere in the history tab.

Then she realized it would be better to look at the computer tab instead.

Amu opened the said tab quickly, searching around. After a few minutes, she found a folder labeled 'NOTHING SUSPICIOUS'. Really? Amu knew she had her moments, but didn't think she was stupid enough to label a folder that.

She sighed, shaking her head as she clicked open the folder. There was a single file inside, which happened to be an unnamed video. Curiously, Amu clicked on it and it opened immediately.

The camera clicked on suddenly to reveal Tadase's face. He looked so much younger, by a few years. He looked slightly older than he had been in Amu's fantasy so she estimated that he was around fourteen or so.

"_**What are you doing?" He demanded, glaring straight at the camera.**_

"_**Um, sorry," said a soft voice. "Rima was texting me and it would be suspicious if I suddenly stopped."**_

_**Tadase sighed. "Fine, whatever; you wanted to see me? What do I owe the pleasure, Hinamori Amu?"**_

"_**Well, um…"**_

"_**Stop stammering," barked the blond harshly. "Jeez, I hope you're not here to confess like you did so pathetically in elementary school."**_

"_**Of course not; I got over that ridiculous crush," exclaimed Amu, making his face darken. "I…I need your help, and I hear you're good at getting what others need."**_

"_**That would be true," agreed Tadase. "So you're here for business? What do you so desperately need?"**_

"_**You see, Utau is upset because she isn't getting discovered and this is her prime age to do so," started Amu nervously. "And even though her family owns Easter, she can't start a career by them or it would be suspicious. She's really unhappy, and that makes me unhappy because she's my friend…so will you please help her get discovered without having her know I helped?"**_

"_**You did nothing to help other than address the problem to somebody who can actually do something," replied Tadase coldly. "But your situation interests me. Very well; I will help your friend become a star. I will call one of my allies and have them offer Utau a deal. She will be happy to accept but knowing her father, he will not be pleased to have his daughter become famous without him and will immediately sign her instead. It's simple."**_

"_**Great," exclaimed Amu cheerfully before her tone changed. "But wait, don't you have a price on this?" Tadase grinned wickedly while she drummed her thumbs against the keyboard to make it look like she was typing a text.**_

"_**Yes, I do," he confirmed. "Let's see…why do you want to help Utau when she has done nothing but treat you like trash?"**_

"_**Because even though I'm not her friend, she's still mine," said the pinkette strongly, supposedly glaring at the blond to question her friendships. "And I will do anything for my friends."**_

_**If possible, the grin on his face grew even more dastardly. "Anything? If that's the case, I've thought of the perfect price." **_

"…_**what is it?" Amu asked cautiously.**_

_**Tadase stared at her for a moment before announcing, "You're not worth breaking, so I'll just have you as my girlfriend. You cannot break up with me or tell anyone about our deal, or I will tell Utau everything and she will hate you even more than she does now."**_

"_**That's it?" Amu exclaimed, sounding surprised. **_

"_**No," said Tadase. "You have to break off your relationships with everybody else."**_

_**The pinkette gasped. "What? Why?"**_

"_**They're much too smart; they would easily discover you were involved in one of my deals if they hung around you too much. You're like a book, easy to read to everyone who can," sneered the blond. "You can only be friends with that Fujisaki boy, mostly because I know he will never betray your secrets, but you cannot tell him anything."**_

"…_**and my family?"**_

"_**Don't make it sound as if I'm going to kill them. You can't tell them. I mean it, too; one peep to anyone and I will make sure Utau's career is permanently halted with you at blame. You are now my property, Hinamori Amu. You will be pleaded by others to break up with me but you won't or I will tell everybody, including Utau, about this deal and they will all look at you shame for doing such a thing to someone who doesn't deserve it."**_

"_**Okay," agreed Amu after a few moments, supposedly out of shock. "Is there anything else?"**_

"_**Well, not that you mention it…you like Tsukiyomi Ikuto, right? The way you're blushing told me all I need to know; I will set him up with Utau and you are not to interfere because I will tell him nasty things about you. Well, in reality, they're things about Utau but you wouldn't want her to have baggage to her name, do you? He'll hate you, Rima will hate you, your family will be clueless, Utau will think she's better than you when you're really trying to help her, and you'll have the honor of being called my girlfriend. Is it really worth it? I'm asking you now because you've always been interesting, Amu, so I'm giving you a second chance. Do you want to do this?"**_

"…_**yes, I do."**_

_**Tadase smirked, holding out his hand. "Thank you for doing business with me, Amu-koi. Now stand and give your new boyfriend a kiss like a proper girl should."**_

The camera clicked off, ending the video, and Amu was left staring at the screen with conflicting emotions. She felt shocked, disgusted, horrified, heartbroken, and completely abused.

Her petite hands clenched into fists, her nails piercing into her palms painfully. She couldn't believe how much she had sacrificed just for one girl. She knew Utau could be saved, but not like this…the question was whether or not Tadase could be saved. At the rate he was going, probably not, but Amu found herself not caring.

Tadase had done the one thing she found unforgivable and that was messing with her friends. Ikuto was hurt and had been lied to because of her while Rima had no friends at all anymore. Her siblings could only watch as she rotted away in depression. Her school life was suffering. Nagi was stuck in between a hard place, torn between being with his best friend and the girl he was desperately in love with. Utau had been turned into a wicked person when she could have been saved.

All because of that stupid deal she had idiotically agreed to.

Amu actually growled at the image of Tadase on the screen. He was going down, and she sure as hell would make sure she was responsible for it. How she was going to do it, she wasn't quite sure, but she was going to make it as painful and agonizing as possible.

He had put her through hell and she was going to return the favor soon enough, starting with his ego.

…

Amu walked into the school, making her way towards her locker where she knew he purposely brought sluts over to so she could see. To her delight, everybody she wanted to be there was in the hallway. Ikuto was at his locker across from Amu's with Utau hovering over him, Yaya and Kairi were talking animatedly nearby, Nagi was mingling near her locker as he waited for her, Kukai was talking to some his teammates about the game the previous night, Rima was boredly poking through her locker a few down from Amu's, and Tadase had Saaya pinned against Amu's locker as he kissed her furiously.

Hiding her disgust (at least they weren't dry humping each other, she reasoned), she sauntered down the hall and stopped a few feet away from the embracing couple to clear her throat. She decided to ignore how nearly everybody fell silent, knowing they wanted to see the new and improved Amu's reaction to her boyfriend kissing the school slut.

Tadase pulled away, glancing boredly at his girlfriend. "Yeah, something you want, Amu-koi? Didn't we already make plans?" His ruby red eyes were piercing into her topaz ones, but she wasn't intimidated.

The sixteen year old glared at him. "Tadase, I have been through a lot these past few days, and even though I can't remember much of my life before I went into a coma, I do know that you're a heartless asshole. You can go and screw girls like Saaya all you want, since you apparently like used and loose things, because I'm officially breaking up with you."

Everybody gasped as Tadase straightened, glaring at the unwavering pink haired teenager. "You can't do that. Don't you remember the deal we made?" Again, everybody gasped since Tadase's deals were no secret. People began to whisper, wondering what had happened between the two. "Just because you've been a psycho these last few months doesn't mean you get away with anything, Amu."

"And yet here you are," replied Amu coldly. "And I remember our deal perfectly well; in fact, I have the entire conversation on video. Remember when I told you I had been texting Rima? I was really taking a video. Not very smart, are you?" Tadase snarled at her. "Anyways, I don't care about the deal. I want my life back, Tadase, and you are not a part of it. If I could, I would gladly rip out your genitals right here in front of everybody…although, not to cause you physical harm, but to show why no girl you sleep with ever looks satisfied. I mean, do you pay them to lie about your size?"

It was like a broken record as everyone gasped again, although there were some giggles and calls of 'BURN' from some of the idiotic boys (including Kukai). Yaya was giggling madly while Kairi and Nagi looked impressed, Rima and Ikuto were smirking while hiding their surprise, and Utau was glowering. Once again, Amu was becoming the star of the show.

"Oh, stop being so dramatic," she growled, succeeding in getting all eyes on her. As it should be. However, to her anger, Amu simply looked bored. "What could you possibly gain from getting a deal with Tadase? What, did he offer you popularity if you slept with him?"

"My business is none of your concern, Utau," replied Amu dismissively. "But if you must know, no, that is not why I made a deal with him."

"Oh, then what was the deal then?" Utau demanded, shaking with fury. Tadase smirked at the pinkette.

"Do you really want her to find out, Amu?" He asked. "It will ruin whatever chance you have to be friends with her again. Isn't that what you said to me that day? That you would do anything for your friends?"

The pinkette nodded once. "Yes, and I still stand by that; I would do anything to help a friend, even if it mean utterly destroying my other friendships and ruining my life as I know it." This made her previous friends raise their eyebrows, all thinking if that was what she had done.

"So…?" Tadase questioned.

"However, I'm done calling Utau my friend," continued Amu. "All I've done all this time is defend her whenever someone called her names and talked trash about her, and what has she done for me? She has belittled me, talked shit about me, and treated me like I was a puppy on the road she could kick whenever she wanted to." She looked Tadase straight in the eye. "Go ahead and tell her, Hotori, because she's no longer worth my time. Do you know who else isn't? You. You took advantage of a helpless fourteen year old girl who's no longer helpless. You will pay and forced to watch as I take you down." She gestured towards Saaya, who was still pressed against her locker. "Now, can you please remove your toy from my locker?"

Tadase growled at her as he yanked the auburn haired girl towards him. "You can't do anything to me, Hinamori. I'll make sure you never build your friendships again!"

"As if I care, Hotori," stated Amu. "If they believe you over me, I'll just know who my true friends are and aren't. Now, like any good couple, why don't you give me a lot of space because I really don't want to see my ex-boyfriend?"

That sealed the deal, and the blond stormed away. It was deadly silent for several moments, the only sound being the pinkette opening her locker and getting her things, until Yaya charged at her sister.

"Yay, Amu-chan's free of the jerky prince," she squealed, hugging her tightly. Amu squirmed out of her embrace, only to be trapped in Kukai's instead. "We should throw a party!"

"Yeah, I can't believe you finally dumped that loser," exclaimed Kukai, wrapping his arms around his sister and kissing her cheek excitedly. She blushed brightly, trying to escape from his tight grip. "And don't worry; if he tries to even think about touching you, I'll personally smash his face in!"

"Relax, all I did was break up with him," said Amu, weakly pushing her brother away as Nagi approached them. "Jeez, you guys are making a big deal out of nothing. Tadase wasn't even worth making such a show."

"Congratulations on finally standing up to him," said Nagi softly, smiling at the pink haired teenager. "But I'm curious, Amu; what was the deal you made with him?" This made everybody fall silent again as all eyes landed on the unnerved girl.

Amu glanced at the blonde haired comedian and then the blue haired violinist, something nobody missed. "That's not important right now, Nagi; I just want my friends back." She shut her locker and turned, walking calmly down the hall. "And if Tadase told you something awful about somebody you knew better than anyone and you knew it was lie but you believed him anyways, then you don't know how to have friends." She glanced over her shoulder and smirked at the bewildered crowd before continuing to her next class.

Utau clenched her fists, glaring in the direction her rival had left in. She didn't know the details of the deal, but it obviously involved her since Tadase had mentioned her. What the hell did Amu do?

Ikuto blinked once before a smirk crossed his lips. As a child, Amu had been feisty and shy at the same time, but became a powerful and confident person when she was standing up for her friends. He missed that girl when she was suddenly cut from his life, and had to watch as she slipped into depression with her personality disorder, but it seemed like he deserved it for believing those things Tadase had told him. And if she wanted him back in her life now, then who was he to stop her?

Rima stared after her former best friend. She had been crushed when Amu had suddenly stopped talking to her and wondered what she had done wrong. She decided that Amu clearly wanted to be with Tadase more than her, so she let it drop and built walls around her so nobody could her hurt again. And now, after nearly three years, she's learning that Amu had cut her off because of a deal with Tadase? The blonde wondered if she could learn to love her friend again, or if they were meant to be strangers?

Kukai and Yaya exchanged looks, grinning sadistically. Amu had made the first move, but it was up to everyone else to decide whether or not she could be forgiven for ruining everything by making a deal with Tadase. If they decided she couldn't, she would just take them one by one to change their minds.

And they couldn't wait to watch the show.

…

**I don't own Shugo Chara.**

**So…I know this seems rushed, but I wanted to have everybody know about Tadase's deal with Amu. This isn't the end though; no way in hell. This is just the tip of the iceberg.**

**Okay, soon enough, I'll probably stop referring to the original storyline of Shugo Chara because this is an AU story so the life she lives in really is reality. **

**So…everybody learns that Amu is done with Tadase, but is he done with her? Hm…**

**Anyways…**

**I went to the Big Time Rush and Victoria Justice Summer Tour Concert last night, and it was awesome. I mean, I'm not their biggest fan in the world, but it's probably the closest thing I'll get to being near famous people. Sigh, Tom Felton…**

**Sorry…it was an early birthday gift to go…can you believe I was only eleven when I found this website and discovered the heart wrenching world of fandoms? At twelve years old, I began to merge into the fandom world by writing fanfiction. Now, three years later, I'm still not emotionally prepared for it.**

**In fact, I think I'm even more emotionally damaged…or it's just normal teenager stuff to deal with…I'll find out when I'm twenty…**

**Rambling, sorry!**

**Don't hesitate to tell me about any mistakes or what you really thought about this chapter! And don't worry; we're far from the end of this story!**


	5. Chapter 5

…

Ikuto lay on his bed, staring up at the ceiling with a bored expression. He could hear his mother making dinner and his father was most likely trying to help her, but was only being a nuisance.

He ignored his phone violently vibrating on his nightstand, knowing it was Utau. Why did he start dating her again? It wasn't as if he actually liked her. She was vain, whiney, possessive, and…not Amu.

He would be lying if he said he didn't consider ever dating the pink haired girl. They were childhood friends who knew each other better than anyone else. She was never awed or fazed by his cool personality and didn't fall at his feet like half of the girls at school. Whenever he had teased her and made her blush, or humiliated her somehow, she would always find a way to get him back.

He remembered one time when they were kids, both of their families had decided to go to the amusement park during the summer. After he had taken her to several attractions just to scare her, she had cried and made him get on the teacups to make it up to her. Seeing her cry like she had, Ikuto had reluctantly agreed.

…

"_Wah, I don't want to go on any more scary rides," exclaimed Amu, her topaz eyes filled with tears as she tugged on Ikuto's sleeve. "Iky!"_

"_Ikuto, what are you doing to the poor girl?" Souko asked her son as the two kids approached the rest of the group. Kukai, only six years old, was instantly in older-brother mode as he glared at his best friend and tried to calm his sister down. _

_The said best friend shrugged, standing nearby. "She said she could handle it."_

"_Ikuto, she's five," scolded his mother. "I know you're only a year apart, but she gets scared more easily than you do." She turned to the sniffling pinkette, lifting her into her lap. "Oh, Amu, are you alright?"_

_Amu sniffled, trying to wipe her tears away. "Iky brought me to the haunted house. It was scary, Auntie Souky!" The blonde haired woman glanced at her son before gently wiping the rest of the tears from her unofficial daughter's cheeks. "Where's Mama?"_

"_She wasn't feeling too well so your dad and Yaya brought her home," replied Aruto, taking the pink haired girl from his wife. He tapped her nose gently, succeeding in getting her to make that adorable scrunched up expression as she giggled. "Your mama has to be extra careful with the baby on the way."_

"_Uncwle Awuto," started Amu, looking innocently at the violinist. "Where do babies come from?"_

_Ikuto and Kukai rolled their eyes before realizing they didn't know the answer either, looking up at the suddenly nervous couple._

"_Uh, Kukai, how about we go get some ice cream while Amu and Ikuto go on another ride?" Souko suggested. "We have to get some soon anyways. Aruto, dear, will you start putting things in the car?"_

"_Sure," replied her husband. "Ikuto, why don't you let Amu pick a ride this time?" He patted his son the head as he set the young girl down next to the six year old before taking Kukai to get some ice cream._

_Ikuto was about to complain, but then he looked at the younger girl. She was so little, even though they were only a year apart, and looked at him as if he was a giant. He could see that her normally sparkling topaz eyes were watery and she was shaking from her encounter with the ghosts in the Haunted House he had brought her to. _

"_Iky, do we have to do something scawy?" Amu asked, sniffling as she held tightly onto his hand._

"_Didn't want you to do something?" Ikuto asked, looking away as his cheeks burned with shame. He had made his best friend cry. "The old man said you could pick the ride."_

"_But if Iky wants to ride something…" The pinkette started. The young violinist looked back at her, sticking his hands in his pockets._

"_Amu, it's okay," he murmured. "Just pick a ride before they come back and Kukai eats all the ice cream. He better remember I like chocolate…" The younger girl stood on her tippy-toes, looking around at the rides nearby. _

_Suddenly, her eyes lit up as she began to bounce excitedly. "Iky, Iky; I want to go on that!" Ikuto looked over to where she was staring at and groaned softly. "Can we go, Iky?" He was about to deny, saying he would rather die than go on those ridiculous teacups, when she fluttered her eyelashes pleadingly and stuck her lower lip out. He groaned again, but for a different reason._

"_Whatever," he muttered as they began to walk over._

"_Yay," cheered Amu as he handed the tickets to the man. "Come on, Iky, I want to go in the pink one!"_

"_Amu, that's the kiddy size," complained Ikuto, but followed her demand as they climbed in. "Are you happy now?" Even though he was only six, he was tall for his age and struggled to fit his legs in the teacup. _

_Amu noticed his discomfort and giggled uncontrollably. "Heehee, that big body in this wittle cup!" She began to laugh so hard, she started to cry again. The older boy watched her, still trying to move around. Finally, she stopped and wiped her tears away. "That's what you get for scaring me!"_

"_Amu, did you plan this?" Ikuto had to ask. The little pinkette acted innocent in front of his parents and made him look like the bad guy, but she was the wild card in their relationship. "And stop calling me 'Iky'; I know you can pronounce my name."_

_She stuck her tongue out at him, crossing her arms. "You ruin all the fun, Ikuto."_

"_Aw, you two look adorable!"_

_The two abnormally-haired children looked up and saw the Tsukiyomi parents standing near the gate with their ice cream, Kukai already half done with his. They finished the ride and climbed off, taking their cold desserts gratefully._

"_Thank you," exclaimed Amu happily, licking her strawberry cone. Ikuto silently ate his chocolate one as he watched Kukai devour his cookies n' cream cone like a savage beast that is on the verge of starvation. "Iky, aren't you going to say 'thank you'?"_

_Ikuto rolled his eyes, flicking his arm absently towards his parents. "Thanks." Unknown to him, Amu had moved to his other side to look at him so his arm knocked her ice cream from her grasp and she began to cry as it crashed to the ground. His eyes widened in surprise. _

"_Oh, Ikuto," said Souko, leaning down to wipe the spilled ice cream from the pinkette's shirt. "Amu, honey, it's alright. We can go get you another one."_

"_No, it's okay," replied Amu, sniffling. Kukai paused, elbowing his friend in the stomach as he glared at him._

"_Dude, you just made her cry twice," he said coldly, which was impressive for the six year old who was rarely serious. _

"_Can we go home now?" Amu asked. "I want to go home."_

_So, as they sat in the car, Ikuto silently passed his chocolate ice cream to her. She took it, but didn't lick or bite it as she avoided his gaze. _

"_Amu, Kukai, we're sorry we suddenly left you," apologized Midori as they stopped in front of the Hinamori house. Kukai dove out of the car, calling for Yaya so he could show her all of the prizes he had won. "How was the amusement park?"_

"_It was fun," said Amu, faking a smile as she stared up at her mother. The chocolate ice __cream was still in her hands._

"_Thank you for watching them," said the pregnant woman to her friend before turning to the two children. "Oh, don't you look adorable?"_

"_Come on, let's take a picture," exclaimed Tsumugu, appearing out of nowhere with his camera. He held it up, gesturing to Amu and Ikuto. They glanced at each other, reluctantly agreeing. Neither of them enjoyed the attention that much; that was more of Kukai and Yaya's thing. "Say cheese!"_

_Just before the camera clicked, Amu stood on her tippy toes and smashed the ice cream into Ikuto's hair. The parents gasped in surprise while Amu giggled and Ikuto stared at her in shock._

"_That was for making me spill my ice cream," she explained cheerfully before skipping into the house. Aruto began to laugh while the Hinamori couple apologized, going into the house to punish their daughter. Souko asked if her son was alright._

_He felt the coldness of the dessert drip over his face and neck, knowing he would have to shower immediately or it would stick. Yet, he couldn't help but smirk. Amu was one of a kind._

…

Ikuto stood across the street from the amusement park, which was now abandoned and dusty. His sapphire blue eyes landed on the teacups that happened to be the near the front of the park. He smiled fondly at the memory, sticking his hands in his back pocket as he stared at his shoes so nobody would see his facial expression. Nobody had seen him smile in a while.

Footsteps echoed through the evening air but he didn't pay them much attention until they suddenly stopped. He glanced up and was startled to see Amu standing across the street, staring up at the crooked sign of the amusement park. She didn't seem to notice him at all.

He wasn't sure what to do and was about to call her name when she suddenly moved. The pink haired girl took a few steps back before running forward, leaping up into the air and climbing over the gate. While it was a graceful, yet startling, move, she still tumbled to the ground.

Ikuto heard her swear loudly as she stood, rubbing her bottom, and he smirked. Yet he was curious to why she was there. Surely she couldn't remember?

Amu looked around, shivering at the cold air. Why didn't she grab a jacket before she left the house? Well, it wasn't as if she knew she was going to end at the amusement park. As long as she was there though, she might as well check it out to open up old memories.

The first thing she spotted was a pink teacup covered in dust, the paint chipping off with a chunk of it broken off. She frowned, feeling waves of nostalgia roll over her as she walked towards it.

She placed a hand on the edge, blinking past her tears. It didn't matter whether or not she was in her fantasy or reality; this amusement park, this teacup, meant too much to her. A single fat teardrop rolled down her cheek.

In Shugo Chara, Ikuto had brought her here and they had opened up to each other for the first time. She told him about her outer character and he told her that he wished he had the ability to do that. It had become their place, and later their battlefield when Ikuto was being controlled by that damned Kazuomi.

In reality, this had always been their hangout. Whether they were being childish or they were being depressing and needed to be cheered up, this had always been the place to go so they could be themselves. It had been where Amu had dropped the ice cream on his head for making her cry that day, where they had their first kiss after she had been nearly jumped by some older guys and he had rescued her, and where they had their final fight.

Amu's eyes glazed over. Out of all the things she had forgotten, she wished that memory had been one of them. The amusement park brought up more than just wistful memories of laughter and smiles.

…

_Amu grabbed onto her childhood friend's hand, dragging him around the park. She had just finished her meeting with Tadase and needed to be cheered up before she got all depressed again._

"_Amu, what's with the sudden interest in coming here?" Ikuto asked after they had finished riding one of the roller coasters. "And why do you suddenly want to ride every single ride?"_

"_Is there anything wrong with wanting to spend time with my best friend?" The fourteen year old girl asked nervously, trying to sound upbeat. "I mean, who knows when we'll have time? You're more of a teenager than I am, and we're not always going to be together." She was suddenly yanked back as she was forced to face Ikuto, who had a serious expression on his face as he placed his hands on her shoulders. Her heart skipped a beat at the proximity. _

"_Amu, what are you talking about?" He asked quietly. "It doesn't matter how much we grow up, we'll __**always **__be together." Amu looked up at him, dropping her tough girl act and showing him just how much she resembled that five year old he had made cry so long ago._

"_Promise?" She whispered. He nodded._

"_No matter what, we'll always be together," said Ikuto sincerely as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a silver lock. "Here." He slipped it around her neck. "As long as you wear that, and as long as I have the matching key, we'll be together. We go together like a lock and key." She smiled brightly at him, reaching up to wrap her arms around his neck and planting a soft kiss on his cheek._

"_You're my best friend, Ikuto," said Amu softly. "Even if I act like an idiot and push you away, will you promise to come back?"_

"_Of course," replied the violinist, holding her close. "Now, come on, the park's going to close soon and we haven't been on the teacups yet!" Like he knew she would, Amu squealed excitedly and led him over to the childish ride with her hand clasped over the lock._

_Two days later, they stopped speaking to each other. A week later, the amusement park shut down._

…

Another tear fell down Amu's cheek as she gripped the side of the teacup with both hands. She didn't blame Ikuto for not speaking to her since it was mainly her fault.

"Idiot, idiot, idiot," she murmured to herself, shaking her head. She deemed it fitting as dark clouds began to form and it drizzled over her. "Why were you so damn stupid, Amu? You lost all of your friends because of that stupid deal!"

The distraught teenager shook as she began to sob, wailing as she was hunched over the teacup. She was a strong person and could brave through any storm as long as she had her friends by her side. She valued her friends more than anything after all. And now, she was stuck in one of the biggest storms of her life with little people on her side. She had thrown away the most valuable asset she had, and she regretted every second of not having them by her side.

She missed Rima's blunt and realistic comments. She missed the way the little blonde could appear innocent and sweet once second, and then the devil's reincarnation the next. She missed the way Rima could make anyone smile with her signature 'Bala-Balance' act and then act bashful about it.

She missed Ikuto's perverted advances, treating her like a kicked puppy he had found on the roar. She missed the way her heart skipped a beat around him, and the way they could go from playful best friends to arguing enemies in a matter of seconds. She missed his mischievous smirk, hearing his beautiful violin, seeing his eyes sparkle with life when they landed on her.

She missed her friends. She missed her old life.

The rain soaked her hair and clothes, making her skin cold as ice. If anybody saw her, they would assume her face was wet from the rain and not from her tears.

Suddenly, she was yanked away and pulled under the umbrella of the old ice cream cart nearby. Something dry and warm fell over her head, confusing her. She slowly pulled it off of her head, seeing it was a jacket, and looked around.

"Idiot; what were you doing in the rain like that?" Ikuto asked, suddenly appearing next to her and making her shriek in surprise. He had his arms crossed and he refused to look at her. "You're going to get sick."

"What are you doing here?" Amu asked softly, wrapping his jacket around her and ignoring how warm she felt. She could smell his cologne on the jacket and she fought the urge to smile, feeling her face get warm. She knew she was a smell pervert.

"I happened to be walking by when I saw you standing in the rain," replied the seventeen year old, still not looking at her. "I figured you were as airheaded as always and didn't think to wear a jacket even though it's December."

"Thanks," murmured the pinkette. It was awkwardly silent for several minutes, and neither knew what to say. Finally, she couldn't take it. "Happy belated birthday."

Ikuto finally turned to her, surprise etched on his features. "What?"

She was the one who didn't look at him this time, staring out at the rain that washed over the rusty attractions. "It's December 13. Your birthday was the first, but I was in a coma so I couldn't say happy birthday. So…happy birthday."

Ikuto simply stared at her. Even though they hadn't been friends the last few years, every year he found a small box of chocolates in his locker with the words 'Happy Birthday' scrawled on a card. There was never a name, but he knew it had been from her. He would recognize the pathetic excuse for cursive anywhere.

"Thanks," he said after a few moments. She nodded in response and they fell into another phase of silence. It was still awkward, but not as much as the first.

Just as he was about to ask what she had been doing here in the first place, she sighed and handed him the jacket. "I have to get going," she said. The rain hadn't lightened but their houses weren't too far from there.

Ikuto shoved it back at her. "Why are you handing it to me? We're going in the same direction."

"It's your jacket," said Amu flatly, a look in her eyes that told him she wasn't going to take it back. "And don't look at me like I'm a damsel in distress." She looked confused when he chuckled.

"You haven't changed that much at all," he remarked before slipping his jacket back on and walking away. "Are you coming or not? I wonder if I should put a leash on you. You would get lost so easily."

"I'm not a dog," exclaimed Amu as she chased after him. "God, you're such an asshole Ikuto. I wonder why we were even friends." As soon as she said it, she immediately regretted it. Bad memories came up as their playful conversation came to a screeching halt.

"Why were you there?" Ikuto asked as they walked down the sidewalk, letting the rain soak them even more than they already were.

She seemed to be thinking about how to answer him. "Just…walking down memory lane, thinking of happier times and wondering why I was such an idiot to make that deal with Tadase. I may have considered Utau my friend at the time, but she still wasn't worth losing everything."

"You didn't lose everything," said the violinist absently. "You have your family, and that Fujisaki kid."

"Yeah," agreed Amu. "But I missed my best friends. I miss being able to tell my family everything. I was forced to sit back and watch them wonder what they had done wrong for me to suddenly act so cold towards them. I regretted everything so much that I let my personality disorder get the best of me and I fell into a coma, where I developed a fantasy world that had life almost exactly like I wanted it to be."

She knew her mask had dropped, like it always did when she was with Ikuto, and she was showing her true self to him. She probably looked as terrible as she felt.

"Well," said Ikuto finally. "Can't you make your fantasy into a reality? I mean, just become friends with Rima and the others again. Don't let anyone get in your way. And if it means punching the kiddy king in the face, then great."

The pinkette chuckled as they approached their street. "Yeah, you're right. Thanks, Ikuto." He nodded and began to walk up his driveway when he was hugged from behind by the younger girl. "And don't worry; I plan on getting _all _of my friends back, especially my best friend." Ikuto turned around in surprise but she was already running up her driveway. "Remember, Tsukiyomi, I'm the lock to your key after all!"

"Amu…"

…

**I don't own Shugo Chara!**

**So…the story had a lot of Amu gaining confidence and becoming this kickass character, but it lacked a lot of Amuto so far.**

**I figured, what better way to start the romance than with a little trip down memory lane? It's not a lot, but it's still the fluffy sweetness that this dramatic story needed.**

**Anyways…not a lot to say…don't hesitate to tell me about any mistakes you found or what you really thought about the chapter!**


	6. Chapter 6

…

Kukai chatted with Kairi as they walked towards the former's workout room, talking about this and that…which included teasing the younger male about dating his sister, much to Kairi's embarrassment.

"Seriously, Kairi, you should show her your sword skills if you want to impress my sister," remarked Kukai, laughing at his own innuendo.

The green haired male blushed as he pushed up his glasses. "I appreciate your…advice, Kukai, but I honestly believe that she can do better." He pushed open the door to the workout room and both boys paused in the doorway.

Amu was in the middle of an intense workout, which included striking the boxing bag. She looked up when she realized somebody was watching and pulled out her headphones as she glanced at them. "Hey, what's up?"

"When did you start boxing?" Kukai asked as the two males entered, setting their things down on a bench. "You can't punch a bag of pudding."

"Oh, haha," replied his sister, rolling her eyes. "There's nothing wrong with being in shape, you know." She took off her gloves, throwing them towards a pink gym bag that was undoubtedly hers. "What are you two doing here?"

"There's nothing wrong with being in shape," repeated the brunette, grinning as he walked onto the treadmill and set it up. "I need some male bonding time."

"Why am I not surprised that your friends are younger than you?" Amu remarked as she began to pack up her things. Kairi walked past her to reach for one of the swords on the wall. "Hey, Kairi; I didn't know you came over here with Kukai."

"Well, Yukari doesn't disapprove my training as a samurai but she doesn't want a personal dojo in her house either," he replied as he took his place, starting to swish his sword around carefully.

Amu nodded in understanding. "Anyways, I'll leave you guys to it." She slung her bag over her shoulder and began to walk out before she changed her mind, glancing over her shoulder. "And by the way, Yaya appreciates a guy who gives her candy more than a guy who's totally ripped." She smirked when Kairi blushed bright red, making her way towards her room.

Since the workout room was on the third floor, she leaped onto the stair banister and slid down to the second floor. When she jumped off, she startled Ami.

"Jeez, Amu, be careful," exclaimed the ten-year-old, placing a hand over her chest as she smiled at her older sister. "Hey, I was wondering…do you want to go shopping with me and Yaya?" She looked at the sixteen-year-old with her pleading honey eyes, sticking her lower lip out as she gave her sister a hopeful look.

Amu felt like she was being pelted with kittens; she didn't want to get hit but she didn't want to hurt them either. "A-Alright, just stop making that face! When are you leaving? I need to shower."

Ami glanced at her watch. "Um…in about half an hour."

Her older sister nodded. "That should be enough time." She ruffled the brunette's hair as she made her way to her room, secretly glad she could spend time with her sisters. She had been neglecting them, mostly Ami, since she had gotten back from the hospital. And since her friends weren't exactly reachable at the moment, she appreciated any female bonding time. Nagi was great, but she wasn't going to make him dress up as Nadeshiko.

Exactly twenty-nine minutes later, Amu greeted her sisters by the front door. "Hey, you guys look cute," she complimented, eyeing their outfits.

Ami was wearing black shorts with a bright yellow top that had sequins on it. Her light brown hair was put into a side ponytail with a pink flower barrette. She opted to wear plain black flats. Around her neck was one of those wallets-on-a-chain.

Yaya had on a pink floral print skirt with a white T-shirt to show off her growing curves. Her carrot colored hair was worn down for once, long enough to reach her lower back, and she wore a simple black hairband in it. She had a soft pink clutch purse with a strap that she wore over her shoulder, and she decided to wear simple flip-flops.

The ten-year-old grinned at her eldest sister, blushing at the compliment. "Thanks, but you have us beat!" Yaya nodded in agreement.

Amu was wearing black leggings with a slightly oversized black-and-white striped tank top under a cute denim jacket. She wore black high tops to go with it. Her vibrant pink hair had been worn down with a small side braid on her right. She didn't have a purse so she just stuffed her wallet in her jacket pocket, along with her cell phone and keys.

"We can talk about who looks better later," she remarked. "The real question is, how are we going to get there? I don't trust myself to actually drive."

"Neither do we," replied her sisters in unison as the three of them walked outside, to where a gleaming limo waited.

"We do have our personal driver, you know," said Ami. "We can be dropped off and then picked up later."

"Oh," was all Amu said as they climbed inside. The drive wasn't very long with Yaya talked animatedly about how excited she was to spend time with her sisters. It was very comforting to the pinkette.

They arrived at the mall and immediately felt tingly. Even if they had horrible style or hated walking for hours as they struggled to carry the incredibly heavy shopping bags, every girl loved shopping. Some would never admit it, but they did. It was instinct to them, like masculinity-proving contests were to guys.

Ami, Amu, and Yaya exchanged excited looks. Money wasn't an issue, something that stopped many girls from shopping until they dropped, so they weren't too worried. They also knew better to blow it all on useless junk.

"Where should we go first?" Yaya asked, bouncing on the heel of her shoes. "I want to go to the candy store!"

"I want to visit the toy store," exclaimed Ami, expressing how young she really was. "I also really want to check out that new clothes store!"

Amu, being the oldest, decided to work out compromise. "How about we just walk around and go into any shop that catches our attention?" Her sisters agreed to this and the three of them burst into the mall.

"Oh, look at this, Amu!"

"Hey, that dress looks really cute on you, Yaya."

"Wow, look at this!"

"There's a sale over there!"

"Does this come in a size six?"

"Darn it; I don't have an outfit to go with these shoes!"

"Look, Ami, this one lights up!"

"Hey, I want to buy those glow-in-the-dark stars for my room!"

Four hours later, Amu suggested a lunch break and the three of them collapsed at one of the tables in the food court with dozens of bags surrounding them. The sixteen-year-old told them to stay put while she went to get their food.

"Wow, my feet are really sore," said Yaya as she watched her younger sister cuddle the stuffed penguin they had gotten. "But it's worth it; we haven't had a girls' day in a long time, ever since Amu was in middle school."

"Yeah, and even then, I was too young to enjoy it," said Ami. "And when I was old enough, Amu got sick and strayed off."

"That wasn't her fault," replied Yaya softly. "Amu gave up a lot for Utau-chan, even though she doesn't deserve it."

"Utau was very mean to Amu, and Amu was too nice to do something about it back then," agreed the ten-year-old. "She always let Utau push her around and treat her like garbage. I know this sounds mean, but I'm kind of happy that Amu got her personality disorder and fell into a coma."

Yaya nodded in agreement. "If she hadn't, she wouldn't have developed that fantasy world and grown a backbone. Now, she's standing up to everyone who pushed her down and made fun of her. I feel like we're strangers sometimes, but I also feel like we've gotten our sister back at the same time."

"She's not really a stranger," cut in Ami, smiling. "She's just…grown up." Her sister looked at her for a few seconds.

"Sometimes you act older than you are, Ami," remarked the fourteen-year-old, resting her chin on her hands. "Why is that?"

"First, you're one to talk," said Ami, eyeing her sister. "Who's the one that threw a tantrum in the middle of our Christmas party just because she didn't get as many gifts as the last year?" Yaya blushed brightly. "Secondly, there's no room to be a kid when you're too busy worrying about how your family is falling apart. When Amu went into that coma, everybody changed."

Yaya nodded. "Mama got really sad while Papa almost never smiled anymore. Kukai was never that energetic anymore and none of us ever left the house unless we really had to, like for school. We didn't speak to anybody really. Nagi came over, and sometimes Kairi would too, and we would all visit Amu at the hospital but it wasn't the same."

"You probably didn't notice, but Rima became even quieter and nobody ever saw Ikuto during those six months," added Ami. "They really love Amu, and I can tell that they want to be in her lives again…but so much has changed, they don't know where they stand."

"Rima was neglected by her parents a lot as a kid and she put on a mask so nobody could see how hurt and lonely she was," said Yaya. "Amu was the first person to break through that mask and Rima became a much warmer person to be around. When Amu made that deal with Tadase and pushed Rima away, she was hurt and became just like how she was before. She doesn't want to be hurt again."

"And Ikuto loved Amu more than anybody else," continued Ami. "They were always together and sometimes it was really annoying, but it was also very sweet." She smiled wistfully. "I remember how crazy it made Utau, since she wanted Ikuto to pay attention to her instead of Amu. But when Amu's in the room, Ikuto doesn't pay attention to anybody else. They're such important parts of their lives that it really hurt both of them when that deal was made and they were forced apart. He will be much easier to get back than anyone else, but I don't know if he can control his feelings for her much longer."

"You sure know a lot about love," said Yaya suspiciously. "Are you hiding something from me, Ami?" Her younger sister blushed brightly, shaking her head in denial.

"W-what, no way," she exclaimed. "Boys are just pests! Besides, Daddy throws a fit every time you say you even say Kairi's name! Could you imagine what would happen if he found you two were actually dating?"

The fourteen-year-old's eyes widened. "How do you know about that?!"

"I'm not stupid," stated Ami, snorting. "Hey, Amu's taking a really long time to get here. Do you think she got lost?"

"It wouldn't surprise me," replied Yaya, remembering how airheaded their sister could be at times. "Amu was never the brightest person…ow!" She rubbed the back of her head, glaring at her sister who whistled innocently as she placed their food on the table. Much to their delight, she had decided to get Chinese. Ironic, since they were Japanese, but everyone liked a bit of culture change once in a while.

"What took you so long?" Ami complained as she reached for the container of orange chicken.

"I'm sorry; would you rather I get that greasy American burger from that fast food place and have you run to the restrooms faster than you can chew?" Amu remarked, eyeing her sister coolly. The said sister muttered something under her breath as she reached for the chopsticks. "That's what I thought. So what were you guys talking about?"

"Nothing really; just how happy we are to have you back," replied Yaya cheerfully. "It was really fun spending the day with you, onee-chan."

"Yeah," agreed Ami, settling her stuffed penguin on top of the table while they ate. "I haven't had this much fun since…well, I can't remember when!"

"It was nice to spend time with my sisters," said Amu softly, smiling at them. She wanted her friends back, but Ami and Yaya were her family and she wasn't going to push them away.

Not again.

…

Amu stuck her hands in her jeans' pockets as she wandered around the town. It was later in the evening and even though her feet were extremely sore from the shopping trip earlier, she felt like going out.

She didn't know what she was going to do so she just changed into skinny jeans and an oversized plaid shirt that her figure disappeared into. So far, she had just wandered around the town aimlessly while wondering what to do the next day at school.

"What a pain," she moaned as she approached the park, the flashing neon lights from the stores giving her a headache. "Why am I always involved in so much drama?" The pink haired teenager plopped down on a park bench, leaning her head back and closing her eyes. She wasn't quite sure how long she sat there, but she enjoyed the peace and quiet.

"You look like a drunk that got hit by a bus."

Amu opened her eyes and nearly fainted; in front of her stood her four Charas, in human sized form. Miki was rubbing the back of her head while Dia was shaking her head. The four of them looked the same, but also so different. They looked so grown up. She rubbed her eyes in disbelief, shaking her head.

"Am I dreaming?" She asked herself, feeling utterly lost as she looked around and saw that she was still in the park.

"Well, duh," stated Miki, rolling her eyes. "We're just figments of your imagination, after all."

"It's official; I've gone off the deep end," murmured Amu, clutching her hair with a panicked expression.

"Relax, Amu," said Dia soothingly. "Even if we don't exist, we're still here to help you."

Ran nodded. "You're a lot more honest than you had been, Amu," she said with a proud look on her face. "But you're still not letting people in and showing them your true self."

"You're more confident too," added Miki approvingly. "And you finally believe in all of your abilities, which is good…and you're not driving, which is also good because you would be horrible at it."

"Gee, thanks," remarked Amu, glaring at the blue haired girl. She seemed unfazed, which only increased Amu's annoyance.

"I'm just happy you're finally standing up to Tadase and the others, desu," said Su, eyeing the two of them nervously. "He's a real jerk and I believe he's beyond saving, Amu-chan, desu." Her sisters nodded in agreement.

"I don't know if Utau can be saved though," voiced Ran. "She's always been jealous of you, you know. She let the jealousy morph her into something cruel and wicked. But I believe that there is still good in her."

Dia nodded. "Everybody deserves a second chance. However, you should do what you believe is right."

"But what do I do about Rima and Ikuto?" Amu asked, hugging her knees to her chest. "I need them in my life."

"Ikuto will be easier to get back, but you have to decide your feelings for him," replied Ran. "He cares a lot about you, Amu, and if you want him back in your life, you have to decide whether or not you want him as a friend, a brother, or something more." Amu blushed brightly.

"As for Rima, you know that she will be tough," continued Miki. "She will probably treat you coldly at first and brush you off, but she will secretly want you to keep on trying like you did when you first met her. She knows you're not the kind of person to give up and will do her best to shake you off. You just have to remember that you need her in your life just as much as she needs you."

"But you need to remember something desu," interrupted Su. "If you get to Rima first, you can have her help you get Ikuto from Utau desu. With her devious mind, Utau will pummel to the ground even faster desu." A wicked gleam appeared in her eyes, startling the other four girls.

"Su, I honestly worry about you sometimes," said Ran, eyeing the green haired girl.

"But she is right," said Dia, turning to the pinkette. "Rima will take longer to heal so it's best to have the most time with her. Although she would probably spend time with Nagi if you got to Ikuto first, she'll miss you. In fact, she misses you now."

Amu looked at them. "…I miss you guys."

The four of them exchanged looks before Su said, "We'll always be in your heart, Amu-chan. We're a part of you, after all desu." Her sisters nodded.

"You didn't need us anymore in your fantasy, and you don't need us now," added Miki softly. "You have to live your life and help others see who they are, and who they would have become."

"You're finding your true self and building a new path for yourself," said Dia. "You're finally being honest with yourself." They began to fade away.

"Remember, Amu, we'll be cheering for you," said Ran before they disappeared.

The sixteen-year-old fluttered her eyelids open, gasping in shock as she realized it had been a dream. She looked around, hoping nobody noticed her, and sighed. She really did miss them a lot, but she knew what they were saying. It was time for her to move on and begin a new chapter in her life.

Amu shivered in the night air, rubbing her arms.

"Why is it whenever I see you, you're out in the cold?" Ikuto asked as he appeared in front of her. The pinkette looked up at him surprise, releasing her legs as she had been hugging them earlier.

"Oh, uh, I don't know," she muttered, standing. "I was just on my way home." It was then that she realized she didn't have a ride. "Um, Ikuto…" He smirked at her.

"You know, I wonder if you're going to get me a Christmas present this year," he remarked as he held out a hand, helping her up. "I mean, I know it's you that's been dropping off small boxes of chocolate in my locker." Amu blushed.

"Well, I mean," she sputtered as they walked down the street. "You…and…I wasn't…I mean…" She gave up, seeing his amused expression, and scowled as she crossed her arms. "Oh, be quiet, you. You're coming to my family's Christmas party next week, right?"

Her parents had always thrown a party in the past years, but haven't done so since Amu began to drift from their family and caused complications in everyone's relationships with the other families. With Amu recovering from her coma, they decided it was an excellent excuse to throw a party.

"I guess," said Ikuto, shrugging as they approached her house. "You know, you really should be wearing a jacket."

"I should be doing a lot of things," replied Amu, lost in thought. It was then that the violinist realized what she was wearing and smirked.

"Is…is that my shirt?" He asked, getting her attention. A rosy blush formed on her cheeks, and it had absolutely nothing to do with the cold.

"Well, you left it at my house a few years ago and never asked for it back, so…" she said defensively before she realized something. "Say, Ikuto, do you forgive me for what I did?"

Startled by the sudden subject change, Ikuto answered, "I guess I know why you did it, but it doesn't mean I forgive you right away."

"But could you?" Amu pressed. After a moment, he nodded slowly; he was clearly confused. She grinned. "Ikuto, I really want you back in my life and I can tell you want me back in yours or else you wouldn't be talking to me. So I hope you understand when I say I want to get Rima to forgive me first. She's my best friend after you, and she has no one else in her life." Her eyes softened. "I need to help her heal, Ikuto, and I need her in my life as much as I need you. Please understand that." She looked at him pleadingly, hoping he would forgive her. "Please, Ikuto, I want you to wait for me. I need to help Rima and I…I also need to figure out my feelings. So please wait."

Ikuto stared at her with an unreadable expression before he leaned down and kissed her. Not on the lips, but a centimeter away from them. She felt herself turn a shade darker when he pulled her close, hugging her.

"I'll always wait for you, Amu," he said huskily in her ear. "Always." He pulled away and smirked when he saw how red she was. "Now, I suggest you get inside or you'll freeze your ass off."

Amu scowled at him as he began to walk across the street, but it only lasted a few seconds. A gentle smile crossed her lips as she turned and began to walk up her driveway, glancing up at the Mashiro household.

"I'm going to get you guys back, I promise."

…

**I don't own Shugo Chara, nor will I ever. **

**Firstly, sorry for not updating sooner! I feel like I say this every chapter. I just had no idea where to go for the next chapter after that whole Amuto fluff filled joy last time. Talk about major writer's block.**

**Secondly, I was finally cured of my writer's block for my other stories, as you can see from my profile. I ended up writing an oneshot for another fandom and another chapter for my other Shugo Chara story. Hey, things happen. I do not control the rainbow of imagination.**

**I know she's not a major character to the story, but I felt like I had been leaving out Ami a lot so I decided to put some of her in here. Also, Amu had been really close with Kukai but not so much with her other siblings so there's some sister time for them in this chapter. **

**Now…I will just come out and say it. I am a teenage girl and I utterly hate shopping more than life. I would always prefer to just stay home and sit on the couch. But as soon as I get some money and enter the store, I turn into a shopaholic. I'm pretty sure it's a curse placed on girls…like periods. Seriously, why can't we just get texts from Mother Nature to tell us we're not pregnant?**

**Why are us girls being punished for being good? Jeez.**

**Now, I don't know if schooling is the same as it is in America but if it is…I just want to remind you that it is nearly August. One more month until school restarts, so I suggest you take this time to do any summer homework you were so cruelly assigned and go shopping for supplies NOW.**

**Trust me, sweeties, there isn't going to be much left on the shelves if you wait until the last week of August or first week of September. **

**Back to the story, I couldn't help but add the Charas as a conscious guide for Amu. They're gently telling her that she doesn't need them anymore, but they'll always be there for her. It's like those really sad moments in movies when they lose somebody they love. **

**Why am I thinking Nico di Angelo?**

**Also, I just had to add in some Amuto. You may think Ikuto's forgiving her way too easily after so much hurt she's caused him, but remember. Some people will do anything for those they care about. Besides, to Ikuto, Amu's one of those people that you can't be mad at for long. No matter how hard you try, you can't be angry or hate them because you need them too much in your life.**

**Anyways, you know the drill. Don't hesitate to tell me about any mistakes you found or what you really thought of this chapter! (And sorry I always ramble in my author's notes!)**


	7. Chapter 7

…

"…don't understand why you're complaining! I'm the one who pays the bills and keeps the roof over our heads!"

"Don't give me that! You don't know the meaning of hard work! I do everything around here!"

"Don't make me laugh! If it wasn't for me, you'd be out on the streets!"

"Whatever; I don't have to hear this nonsense! I'm going back to work, where at least _I _know what I'm doing!"

"What are you implying? Don't you walk away from me! We're not done here!"

A door slammed and the sounds of two different car engines roared to life.

Upstairs, a small Yorkshire terrier scrambled to get through the crack of the not fully closed door. When she succeeded to do so, she somehow managed to jump on the bed against the window and whimpered to get the attention of her owner. The said owner was curled up in a ball, obviously trying to tune out her parents' idiotic arguing.

"Go away, Kusukusu," murmured Rima, gently pushing away her pet. Kusukusu wasn't discouraged and continued to nudge the blonde with her tiny head. Finally, the girl looked up at her dog with her bleary red eyes. "What?" She snapped before gasping as she saw what was in her pet's mouth.

It was a gold bracelet with her name written in rubies, given to her when she was twelve years old. By who? Why, her best friend of course.

Rima paled, reaching out for her dog. "Kusukusu, give me that." The Yorkie barked and leaped off of the bed, running out the bedroom. The blonde was quick to follow, not wanting any damage done to her most precious treasure. "Kusukusu!"

She followed her dog into the kitchen and stopped short when she saw who was standing there. Kusukusu ran over to the figure and spit out the bracelet into her hand.

"Oh, thank you, Kusukusu," said Amu kindly, petting the tiny canine. She reached into the bin nearby and gave her a treat, smiling as Kusukusu ran out happily. "You still hide the spare key under the gnome?"

"What are you doing here?" Rima asked harshly, temporarily forgetting what her traitorous mutt had taken. "You haven't been here in years. Get out!"

"Rima, I want to talk," pleaded Amu. The smaller blonde had always been cold, but she had a soft spot for the pinkette. She saw Rima falter slightly and felt a spark of hope surge through her. "Please, Rima. I need you."

That statement caused something in her to snap. "If you really needed me, you wouldn't have shoved me out of your life!" Rima exploded, turning red. "I don't need to hear your pathetic sputtering! Just because your perfect life with Tadase didn't work out, it doesn't mean you can just come back and expect everything to be alright! I'm not some stupid rebound! Get out, out, out, out! _Get out_!"

"N-No, Rima, you don't understand," exclaimed Amu as her former best friend began to shove her out the door. "Please, listen!"

"I don't have to listen to any bullshit that comes from the likes of you," spat Rima, slamming the door on her face. "Stay out my house and stay the _hell_ away from me, Hinamori!"

Amu stared at the door, feeling crushed. She knew Rima wouldn't open the door and would hide the spare key in another place so she couldn't come back in. Discouraged, she turned and began to walk down the driveway and back towards her home.

She entered her bedroom and fell forward on her bed, crying into her pillow. The pink haired girl felt horrible for what she had done to Rima and she knew she deserved the harsh words thrown at her, but Amu didn't think it would hurt so much.

After several minutes, she rolled over and jumped slightly when something made a chiming sound. The sixteen-year-old glanced at her hand and was surprised to find a pretty bracelet around her wrist until she remembered that Kusukusu had given it to her before Rima had shoved her out.

Amu slipped it off her wrist and fingered it as memories of the blonde came whirring back.

…

"…_welcome our newest addition, Mashiro Rima," said the teacher to her fifth grade class. "Is there anything you would like to say, Mashiro-san?"_

_The adorable blonde had all eyes on her, minus the pink haired girl in the corner. The only seat available was next to her, so Rima began walking towards it. "No," she said as she sat in the chair. _

_The teacher looked stunned by the young girl's coldness, but shook it off and began to talk about their assignment._

_Amu had been distracted by something out the window when the new girl was introduced so she was startled when she turned around and saw the blonde sitting next to her. After a moment, she regained her composure and got the attention of the new girl._

"_Hi, I'm Hinamori Amu," said the pinkette warmly._

"_So?" Rima asked boredly, not looking at her._

_Amu was caught off guard but wasn't too affected; she had gotten used to Ikuto's loner and sadistic attitude so being brushed off wasn't anything new. _

"_Welcome to Plum Class," she greeted. "If you need anything, you can talk to me!"_

"_Whatever," dismissed Rima. _

_At lunch, the blonde had nowhere to sit. Unlike most schools in Japan, this one had a cafeteria so they didn't eat in the classroom. So she was standing in the doorway, watching everybody interact. Throughout the day, many people had tried to talk to her but she had brushed them off. The boys thought she was cute, but because that went against their "girls are icky" and cootie theories, they didn't give her their lunches or offer her a seat._

_So she was standing there, looking awkward and pitiful._

_And then somebody walked past her, not even greeting her. Rima was surprised to see that it was Amu, who was greeted by everybody she passed. They offered her seats, food, anything they could think of. The ten-year-old smiled politely but declined all of their offers as she bought a bottle of juice from the vending machine before going back towards the doors._

"_Hi, Mashiro-san," she greeted, noticing that the blonde was standing all alone. "Do you want to come eat with me?" _

_Rima noticed that many people looked surprised by the offer and because she had nowhere to sit, she shrugged. "Whatever."_

_Amu smiled as she walked out of the cafeteria, forcing the blonde to follow her. They walked up to the roof, where a blue haired boy was sitting. He was eyeing her curiously as Amu sat next to him._

"_Who's this?" He asked the pinkette, sounding uninterested and…jealous?_

"_Oh, right, Mashiro-san, this is Tsukiyomi Ikuto," exclaimed Amu. "He lives across the street from me, and he's a grade above us. Ikuto, this is…"_

"_I can introduce myself," cut off Rima. "Not that it's your business, but my name is Mashiro Rima." She sat on the other side of Amu and the pinkette, oblivious to the tension between the other two, chatted with them as they ate._

_Even though Ikuto and Rima didn't really talk to each other, the blonde continued to eat with them after that._

…

"_Hey, Mashiro-san," said Amu, approaching her classmate. She looked surprised to see her at the park, sitting so bored on the bench, but didn't comment on that. "What are you doing here?"_

_Rima looked up, glad she had dried her tears earlier. She didn't want anyone to know that her parents had been arguing again._

"_Nothing," she stated. "Where's the stray cat?"_

_Amu looked confused, adjusting the bag on her shoulder. The ten-year-old had been walking around the mall, despite her father's concerns. "What stray cat?"_

_The blonde smoothed the wrinkles on her leggings. "You know, the one that's always following you around? He licked your face after you tripped and got a mouthful of ice cream the other day."_

_Amu stared at her, puzzled beyond belief. After several moments, it dawned on her._

"…_are…are you talking about Ikuto?"_

"_Duh, who else?" Rima retorted, slightly amused by the girl's obliviousness. _

"_But…how does he even resemble a cat?" Amu asked, sitting next to her. _

_Rima sighed, looking bored. "If you can't tell, you can't really call him your best friend."_

_Amu didn't look any less confused. "But he's not my best friend; he's kinda like my brother." _

_The blonde glanced at her, raising an eyebrow. "He won't be thinking that in a few years, you know."_

"_Huh?"_

"_Nothing, nothing. If you can't see it, you're even dumber than I thought."_

_Amu shrugged off the insult. "Anyways, like I said, he's not my best friend. You are!"_

_Rima looked at her sharply. "I'm not your friend, Hinamori. I don't have friends; I only have slaves."_

"_But you're __**my **__friend, Mashiro-san," exclaimed Amu cheerfully. "And slaves aren't replacements for friends. You can't go shopping with slaves or have sleepovers with them; you can't share secrets with them and invite them to your birthday parties as guests." She reached into her pocket and handed her a white envelope. "I'd really like it if you came to my family's Christmas party, Mashiro-san."_

_Rima numbly took the letter, giving her a shocked expression. "My parents are working Christmas."_

_Amu wasn't one to be brushed off so easily though; all of her siblings shared that trait as well._

"_Even better," she exclaimed. "It's not any fun to spend Christmas alone, you know! If you don't have a ride, we can come pick you up! Please come, Mashiro-san; you'll have a lot of fun and make a lot of new friends, I promise!"_

_The pinkette gave her a bright, reassuring smile, before she stood and skipped away merrily. Rima stared at the invitation, slowly opening it._

_She smirked slightly when she saw the address; that girl really wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed._

…

"_Yay, Mashiro-san, you came," said Amu excitedly as she peered around her mother's legs, seeing her blonde classmate. "It's okay, Mama; this is my classmate."_

"_My parents couldn't find a babysitter," explained Rima, her voice cold as ice, as she stepped inside and hung up her coat in the closet. "They had to leave earlier but they said to give this to you." She handed a bottle of wine to Midori, who smiled warmly at her._

"_Thank you, Mashiro-san," she said kindly. "Amu-chan, why don't you take her upstairs and introduce her to everybody? This an adult drink so it won't be good for you kids to be down here for a while."_

"_Okay, Mama," replied Amu, taking the blonde by the wrist and dragging her up the stairs with an incredible strength. She led her up to the third floor, which was the game room/lounge but served as the kids' party room during events like these. "Hey, now everybody's here! Oh, yeah, everyone, this is Mashiro Rima!"_

_Everybody looked up from what they were doing and stared at the girls. Rima gave them a criticizing look as she examined them. She recognized them from school, not personally of course, and they obviously recognized her as well from their disbelieving looks._

_Amu was, of course, oblivious to the tension in the room as she introduced Rima to everybody._

"_You know Ikuto, of course," she said, gesturing to the blue haired boy sitting in the corner of the room. There was a pretty blonde haired girl with amethyst eyes next to him, giving Rima a cold look. "This is Hoshina Utau; she's in the fifth grade like us. She has a really pretty voice, right Utau-chan?"_

"_Obviously," said the girl icily, glaring at the clueless pinkette. Rima's eyes narrowed slightly, feeling oddly territorial; she was the coldhearted blonde, not this wannabe._

_Her thoughts were put on hold when Amu dragged her to the couch, where a pretty girl with orange hair was playing patty-cake with a younger looking girl with light brown hair._

"_These are my sisters, Yaya," Amu gestured towards the girl with orange hair. "She's in the third grade. And that's my other sister, Ami; she's in kindergarten. Say hi, Ami."_

_The five-year-old stopped her game to wave at the blonde. "Hi-hi, Rima-chi!"_

_Rima looked at her, seeing her innocent expression, and she was so painfully reminded of herself before her parents began to argue. The blonde couldn't help but smile kindly at her. It was a small smile and it was only for a second, but Ami had seen it as the pinkette led her to the couch._

"_And this is my other best friend, Fujisaki Na…Nadeshiko," exclaimed Amu, hesitating slightly as she gestured towards a pretty girl with purple hair. Because the Fujisaki, Tsukiyomi, and Hinamori families were close, they knew that Nadeshiko was really Nagihiko but couldn't tell that to others. "She's in the fifth grade like us too!"_

"_Nice to meet you, Rima-chan," said Nadeshiko, smiling kindly at the girl as she greeted her warmly and held out her hand to shake. Rima narrowed her eyes, staring at the 'girl' accusingly._

"_You know, has anyone ever told you that you have manly looking hands for such a petite girl?" She asked, eyeing her suspiciously. "And you have kind of a pointed face like a boy's…" Rima glared at her. "Are you really a girl?" Nadeshiko's eyes widened slightly and she laughed nervously. The Hinamori children and Ikuto all looked alarmed._

"_W-what are you talking about?" She exclaimed, looking away and hiding behind her hair. "Of course I'm a girl!" Her voice raised an octave._

"_Um, come on, Mashiro-san," urged Amu nervously as she led the suspicious blonde away towards the beanbags in the back of the room. "This is Sanjo Kairi; he and his older sister live on the other side of us. He's in the third grade like Yaya." _

_A green haired boy eyed her critically as he pushed up his glasses. His stare was calculating and cold, but also kindly in a way. Rima immediately approved of him and she nodded slightly in his direction._

"_And this is my brother, Kukai," continued Amu, oblivious to the byplay. "He's in the sixth grade." She gestured towards a cool-looking guy with brown hair. Rima recognized him; she had seen him playing soccer on the playgrounds before._

"_Yo, it's nice to meet you, Mashiro-san," exclaimed Kukai, jumping up from the beanbags and ruffling her hair. "Wow, you're a little shortie, aren't you?" Rima glared at him, trying to shoot lasers from her eyes for that comment. To her dismay, he was oblivious to her attempts of killing him with her eyes as he laughed. "You're so adorable, you know; no wonder my sister liked you!"_

"_Kukai, did you drink too much juice again?" Yaya asked curiously, eyeing her older brother. "You know what sugar does to you."_

"_You're one to talk," said Ikuto, snorting. The carrot haired girl flashed a smile in his direction, giggling. "Remember last Halloween?" The smile disappeared and she stuck her tongue at him, her face turning pink in embarrassment._

_Kukai laughed, stepping away from the short blonde. "Come on, Yaya; I've only had one cup of juice! I could drink the whole crate if I wanted to!"_

_Utau rolled her eyes. "Please; you couldn't drink more than two cups before you race to the bathroom. You have the bladder of a squirrel, Hinamori."_

_The brunette smirked at her. "At least I know I can drink more than you; you haven't touched a single cup of juice."_

_The blonde haired girl narrowed her eyes. "Are…are you challenging me?" A fire began to form in her eyes. "You'll regret it if you are! I won't go easy on you!"_

"_So bring it, Hoshina," replied Kukai cheekily. "But don't cry when you lose, okay?"_

_The fire was about to burn down Tokyo. _

"_YOU'RE GOING DOWN HINAMORI!"_

_The two of them raced downstairs to get the crate of juice from the garage. The others shook their heads, clearly used to their antics. Rima blinked once while an amused Amu handed her a cup of juice._

"_Come on, Mashiro-san," she said, leading her to the couch. "We're going to open presents soon!"_

"_I…I didn't get you anything," said Rima as she sat down, oddly comforted by the people surrounding her. "Although I probably wouldn't have gotten anything for the stray cat, other than some catnip."_

"_Ikuto probably would have liked that," replied Amu, laughing. She was met by puzzled looks. "What? Isn't Ikuto like a cat?"_

"_Yeah, __**we **__knew that," started Yaya. "But we weren't sure __**you **__did, Amu-chan."_

_The pinkette rolled her eyes, sticking her tongue at her friends. "You guys are so mean sometimes!" She turned to Rima, who felt out of place. "Anyways, we don't usually give out presents other than homemade cards and macaroni necklaces made the previous night from camp."_

"_It was one time; let it go," muttered Kukai as he reentered the room with a satisfied expression. "And you loved it, didn't you?"_

"_I'm guessing you won?" Nadeshiko asked. Her question was answered by a scowling Utau entering the room, sitting in the corner._

_Amu shook it off. "And anyhow, Mashiro-san, even if we did get each other presents, you already gave me one!"_

_Rima looked confused. "What are you talking about?"_

_The pinkette gave her a wide smile. "You showed up, didn't you? Doesn't that make you my friend? You being my friend is more than enough!"_

_Rima stared at her, as did everybody else, and felt a warm feeling in the pit of her stomach as she swallowed. "I…I guess."_

…

"_Hey, Mashiro-san," started Amu anxiously as the blonde haired girl walked down her driveway. It was the first day of seventh grade, the first day of middle school. No school uniforms and more than one teacher with a lot more people. Needless to say, the pink haired girl was nervous._

_Rima glanced at her boredly as they began to walk towards the nearby middle school, which was only a few blocks away. Kukai had overslept and urged her to go on without him. Ikuto had done the same._

"_What?" The blonde asked, knowing her sort-of friend was dying to tell her something._

"_Well, um," Amu sputtered. "We've known each other for two years, right?" Rima nodded, looking at her as if she was dumb. "Well, I know you don't really say anything about it, but I know you're worried that your parents will pull you out of school and you won't be able to make any friends so…" _

_Amu reached into her pocket and handed the blonde a small, black box. "Here, I got this for you so you won't be worried."_

_Rima took the box curiously, eyeing the girl suspiciously before she slowly opened the box and peered inside. Her eyes widened and she stopped walking, gently holding the gorgeous and expensive looking bracelet._

"_Why…why did…" She sputtered, at a loss for words._

_Amu shifted nervously.. "Even if you move far away or if you can't make new friends at the middle school, you'll always have me as a friend. I mean, at home, I know I can be goofy and weird; but at school, everyone expects me to the perfect student, somebody people look up to because I'm 'cool and spicy" or something. They treat me differently, but you don't. You treat me the same at school as you do at home, and well…nobody other than my family and Ikuto do that."_

_She smiled at Rima. "So if you ever feel lonely, you can just look at the bracelet and remember that I'll always be your friend!"_

_Rima stared at her, deeply touched. "T-Thank you, Hinamori-san," she replied as she slid the piece of jewelry on her wrist._

_The pinkette smiled brightly. "You can call me Amu if you want to." The two of them began to walk again._

_The blonde returned the smile. "Most people have run away and left me alone because I'm so cold to them, but not you or your friends. I guess you can call me Rima too…Amu."_

_Amu's eyes lit up and she grabbed the blonde's hand, running the rest of the way to the school. "Now I can't wait to start middle school! It'll be much more fun to start with my best friend, right, Rima?"_

_Rima giggled as she struggled to keep up; she was never the athletic type. "Yeah, definitely." Even though it wasn't her character, she added, "Best friends forever, right?"_

…

A single tear fell down Amu's pale cheek as she clutched the bracelet in her hands.

"Oh, Rima," she whispered, her tone wistful. "I really am sorry."

…

**I don't own Shugo Chara!  
**

**Ugh, I just looked at my calendar and I have two weeks of summer vacation left before school starts! **

**I AM NOT READY; I DO NOT WANT TO BE A SOPHOMORE YET. I'M ONE YEAR CLOSER TO BEING AN ADULT. NO AND NO.**

**My typical "I don't wanna grow up yet; take me to Neverland or something" meltdown aside, I apologize for not updating sooner.**

**I WAS going to have Rima and Amu make up this chapter, but then I thought about Rima's character. I've seen the type in many books and movies. One person has been hurt before and to avoid getting hurt again, they build up walls and refuse to let anyone inside their world. And then they meet one person, normally of the opposite gender, who is unaffected by their coldness and solitude.**

**After several failed attempts, Person B manages to get into Person A's little world and they become close. Then something tragic or dramatic happens and Person B loses all the trust Person A has for them. Person A stubbornly tells themselves it's because they let people inside and got hurt, so they build up stronger walls and refuse to let anyone-especially Person B-back inside again.**

**Anyhow, Rima doesn't want to get hurt again even though she knows Amu's friendship break-up was because of Tadase and that deal. So, like I said, she'll be much harder to get to than Ikuto or the others.**

**Psh…awkward silence…**

**Okay. Don't hesitate to tell me if you found any mistakes or what you really thought about the chapter! I hope you liked the peek into Rima and Amu's past!**


	8. Chapter 8

…

Amu smiled as she saw her friend enter the café. She waved her hand in the air to get his attention, and he returned the smile upon seeing her.

"Hey, Nagi," she greeted as he slipped into the seat across from him. "Thanks for meeting me. I know you've been busy with dance and basketball practice."

Nagihiko reached across the table and squeezed her hand lightly. "You're my friend, Amu; I'll always have time for you. So what did you want to meet about?"

"I just missed you, that's all," replied Amu honestly. "I mean, I know I probably wasn't great company when I was all moody and everything, but I really appreciate you sticking by me. Besides, ever since I woke up from that damn coma, I've been neglecting you as my best friend."

The purple haired male smiled at her.

"I'm not upset," he assured her. "And I appreciate what you're saying, Amu, but let's be honest; Rima always has been and always will be your best friend. It was hard to be best friends with Nadeshiko because you knew my secret and treated me like a boy at times, and your relationship with Ikuto has always been something else. I may be a close friend to you, but Rima holds the title of being your 'best friend forever'."

Amu sighed. "You always see right through me, don't you? I swear, you know me better than I know myself sometimes. Anyways, you're right." She took a sip of her hot chocolate, which was the most popular drink in the café for the December weather.

"I know you like her, Nagi," she started, deciding not to comment on how his eyes widened and his cheeks turned pink. "But she won't go out with you if she still hates me; she hates everything even associated to me right now." She frowned.

"I don't know what to do. Out of everyone, I hurt Rima the most and now she refuses to even speak to me. She hid the spare key to her house so I couldn't get in anymore and she avoids me like the plague in school."

Nagi watched her expressions, seeing the rueful look in her eyes. He squeezed her hand again, holding it loosely.

"Have you tried speaking to her already?" He asked.

Amu nodded, sniffling. "I tried to the other day, but she got upset and shoved me out the door." She smiled wistfully. "You know, I don't think she realizes it yet but I still have the bracelet Kusukusu handed to me."

Nagi raised an eyebrow before he realized what she was talking about. "You mean the bracelet that you gave her in middle school?" The pink haired teenager nodded once and he smiled. "Don't you see, Amu? Rima wants you back in her life if she still has that bracelet. If she didn't want you as her friend, she would have thrown it out already."

"But how do I get her to forgive me?" Amu exclaimed, setting the mug down on the table as she stared at him helplessly. "I don't know how to make it up to her!" Tears started to form in her eyes. "I really miss her, Nagi, and it hurts to know that I'm the reason she's gone."

"But you're not the reason," cut in Nagi softly. "Yes, you made that deal with Tadase and agreed to it, but he is to blame for taking advantage of your desire to help your friends. I know you know that, so please stop thinking that everything is your fault."

Amu remained silent for several moments. "You know, Nagi, you're a really great friend." She looked up at him, smiling weakly. "You're right, of course; I know it's not my fault but I _did _push everybody away, even though I was forced to. I am really grateful mostly everybody forgave me and I'm making new friends due to my change in personality, but…" She sighed.

"None of them can replace what you had with Rima," finished Nagi, looking understanding. He wouldn't know what he would do if he lost his friendship with Amu or the rest of their friends. They were all like family. "Amu, do you remember that Christmas party where you invited Rima for the first time?"

The pinkette nodded. "I was just thinking about that the other day."

Nagi gave her an encouraging smile. "Don't you see, Amu? You broke through her walls once; you can do it again. Perhaps it's fate that another Christmas party opportunity is coming up. That's where you first cracked through her walls, and that's where you'll do it again. Remind her of why and _how_ you became friends in the first place, Amu."

The sixteen-year-old nodded, a determined look crossing her features as she clenched her free hand into a fist. "Yes, you're right! I can definitely win her over again! And then there will be nothing holding her back from dating you!"

Nagi blushed brightly as she hugged him, thanking him, before she raced out of the café with a newfound purpose. He took her mug, finishing the remainder of her hot chocolate as he shook his head.

"That girl is really something."

…

_Ding Dong. Ding Dong. Ding Dong._

"Oh my god, what the freaking hell do you want?" Rima exclaimed, irritated, as she finally opened the front door. "If you're some annoying salesman, you're doing a great job of pissing me off…" She trailed off, her eyes widening upon realizing who was at the door.

The blonde tried to slam the door close as quickly as she could, but Amu grabbed onto the door and kept it open as she mustered up her strength; for such a small person, Rima was pretty strong.

"Go…away," the blonde grunted, trying to close the door. Amu wasn't one to give up easily though, and she knew that better than anyone.

"I just want to give you something," replied the pinkette, putting all of her body weight on the door as she reached into her pocket and pulled out the familiar black box.

Rima gasped and she stopped fighting at once, making her former best friend fall through the doorway. She grabbed the box before it hit the ground and opened it, taking out the bracelet with the same expression she had when she first received it.

"Why did you return it?" She demanded after a few seconds, suddenly remembering that the pinkette was on the ground. The said pinkette slowly got to her feet, dusting off her clothes. "You should have just thrown it away; we're not friends anymore."

"If that was the case, you would have already gotten rid of it," replied Amu, crossing her arms. "I'm not here to argue or try to reason with you, Rima…"

"Don't call me so casually, Hinamori," interjected Rima coldly.

Her neighbor continued, "…I just wanted to give this to you." She reached into her pocket again and held out a crisp, white envelope. Rima eyed it skeptically. "It's an invitation to my family's Christmas party. Don't say you already have plans or won't come because I know you hate being alone in this house and that your parents always work on holidays. You may hate me, Rima, but you're still _my _best friend."

Amu placed it on the table nearby as the blonde asked, "And what if I really don't come?"

The pinkette turned to leave, though she glanced over her shoulder and smirked at her former best friend. "I know you will, Rima. But if you don't, I will drag you over myself and hide all of your gag manga until I decide you can leave."

Rima's eyes widened in horror and shock as the door slammed shut. After staring at the invitation on the table for several minutes, she turned and ran upstairs to put all of her precious gags in a safe place. She knew Amu was a softie, but she wasn't one to break promises-even if they were threats.

Meanwhile, Amu had a smug look on her face as she walked down the Mashiro driveway back towards her own home. She had heard the pounding noises to indicate that Rima had run upstairs. It was self-satisfying to know that she could still get a response out of the normally emotionless blonde.

"You look happy," commented Kukai, who had been kicking around a soccer ball with Yaya while Ami made snow angels. "Did something happen?"

Amu smiled knowingly, stealing the ball from her sister before kicking it into the goal nearby. "No, not really; why are you playing soccer in the middle of December?" She pulled her jacket around her, as if to prove her point.

Kukai shrugged. "Do I need a reason to play?" He then grinned. "You know, you're not too old to join in and play with us." His sister gave him a look and before she could run, he raced over and pushed her into a pile of snow.

"Kukai," shrieked Amu, the snow immediately seeping through her clothes. "I-I'm not dressed for the snow!"

"Ah, so you catch a cold; so what?"

Yaya frowned and threw a snowball at her brother. "Kukai, you meanie! You can't push a poor girl into the snow like that, especially Amu-chan!"

Ami sat up, glaring at her brother. "Yeah, what kind of brother does that?" She looked around and her eyes lit up as she raced into the garage, coming out a few minutes later with a water gun in her hands. "But if you don't care about getting wet or sick," she began, grinning wickedly as she pumped the gun. "Then so be it."

Kukai paled as his two youngest sisters ganged up on him, and he fled from the scene as Yaya hurled snowballs at him and Ami squirted cold water.

Amu was left in that pile of snow, staring after her siblings in shock.

"Seriously, Amu, you're going to get a sick if you spend so much time in the snow without a jacket," remarked Ikuto as he helped her up.

The sixteen-year-old girl jumped at his sudden appearance. "W-What? How did you get here?"

The older boy gave her a look. "I live across the street, remember? Your idiot brother was making too much noise, and I happened to look out the window when he pushed you down."

"That idiot used to be your best friend," reminded Amu as she shivered. "But thanks, Ikuto." The blue haired boy ruffled her hair, causing her to glare at him, before he smirked and began walking back towards his own home. "You're such a weird guy."

He glanced over his shoulder just in time to see her turn around, rolling her eyes, as she flipped her hair and walked into her house. A small smile tugged on his lips as he continued up his driveway and through his doorway. He stopped by the kitchen to grab something to eat when he spotted his mother leaning against the island, her arms crossed as she smiled smugly at him.

Ikuto got his personality from his father, but there was a reason why Aruto took such an interest in the blonde woman. She could be very cunning when she wanted to, especially when it involved her son's life.

He eyed her warily as he grabbed an apple from the counter. "Alright, are you going to tell me or are you going to make me beg?"

"We both know you're not the begging type, unless you've done something to piss off Amu and are trying to apologize," replied Souko, snorting.

"Yeah, well, I have no reason to apologize to her now, do I?" Ikuto remarked. "She's the one who has to apologize, not me."

Souko stared hard at her son. "Excuse me? Don't think I don't know what had happened with that poor girl, Ikuto. Yes, she made a poor decision to isolate herself from her friends by trying to help somebody, but it was _your _choice to believe those lies _Hotori Tadase _told you. As in, the boy who has always been jealous of you, of your relationship with Amu, who never gave him the time of day, jealous of everything you ever did and had, and constantly tried to drag you in the mud. This is the boy who was known for making shady deals with false promises, for leading on innocent girls and then destroying them in every single possible way."

She narrowed her eyes. "What in the world made you think that anything he said would be worth not fighting for her?"

Ikuto returned her stare, his face void of any emotion, but he knew his mother could see the guilt that ate him alive.

Souko took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.

She had been so distraught when Ikuto came home one day and thrown out every single thing that reminded him of Amu, who stopped coming over and avoided talking to anyone unless she had to. It felt as if she was losing a daughter, which is exactly what the pinkette had always been to her.

She always held onto the hope that one day she would become her daughter-in-law. The hope had weakened over the past few years, but it was slowly growing again as she continued to learn exactly what had happened to destroy the poor girl. Souko was a kind and forgiving woman, so she herself was surprised when she found herself hating a boy half her age.

She was so pleased when Yaya came over to explain to the woman what had been going with the pink haired teenager, though Souko was surprised by the sudden coldness the normally energetic and bubbly girl had when discussing Hotori Tadase. Apparently, messing with her family crossed the line for her, not that Souko didn't understand.

Souko sighed, shaking her head as she realized that her son wasn't going to answer her question anytime soon.

"I know you feel guilty about that, or at least I hope you do, so I'll drop the matter for now," she said. "What I want to know, Ikuto, is why are you leading on Amu when you're in a relationship with Utau?"

"I thought you liked Amu," remarked Ikuto, biting into the half-finished apple.

"Dear, I love that girl," snorted Souko. "Don't think I haven't seen that skip in your step, young man. You've only acted that way back in the fifth grade, when you tried to confess to Amu."

Ikuto glared at her, his cheek turning slightly pink.

"Don't look at me like that; not even your father knows about that. Anyways, I know for a fact that even though you know the truth about what had happened, you're still dating Utau. Ikuto, even as a child, that girl was cold and ruthless, especially to Amu. If she catches wind that you're even _talking_ to Amu again, she might lose it and attack her."

Ikuto smirked. "Mom, I know you've been leaked information from Yaya, but I don't think she's mentioned all of it. Amu was in that coma for a while; before, she had been quiet and shy, but would stand up to others if they were bullying her friends but never stand up for herself. Now, she's the same girl but she's…different. She sauntered into the school the other day and dumped Tadase in front of everybody, saying she was done being his plaything and that he would regret messing with her. She put Yamabuki Saaya in her place on the first day back, and she didn't even look like she tried."

"She grew a backbone and is using it well," translated Souko, smiling fondly. "I think that girl has always had a backbone, but was too afraid to use it. Only in certain company does she show her true self." She looked at her son knowingly and he rolled his eyes as he tossed the apple core in the trash.

"So what was it you wanted to tell me?" He asked boredly.

Souko snapped her fingers, her face brightening. "Right! I went shopping and found you the _cutest_ outfit!" She grabbed her son by the back of his shirt before he could flee.

"Mom," started Ikuto, sounding as if he was in pain. "I am not _cute_. I am the definition of _sexy_. Hell, I _invented _sexy."

The blonde woman rolled her eyes. "Well, aren't you modest? I swear, you're just like your father. Anyways, I thought you could wear it to the Hinamori Christmas party."

"Let me get this straight," said Ikuto, still being held by his mother. "You want me to dump Utau, sweep Amu off her feet at her own house, where her crazy father is and where she's trying to win over Rima for forgiveness, and make her fall for me in a _cute _way?"

Souko nodded, smirking at his expression.

"Fuck."

…

Utau shrieked out in ecstasy, gripping her bed sheets desperately as she came down from her high. Her ruffled blonde hair clung to her sweat covered body as her partner rolled over and chuckled.

"Why do we do this again?" He asked.

Utau evened her breathing as she sat up, sighing. "Well, I think it's good practice for when Ikuto finally confesses his love for me. I don't want to fail him in an activity I know he'll be amazing at."

Her partner snorted as he reached into her nightstand dresser and took out a pack of cigarettes, handing one to her. "You're kidding me, right? Now that the secrets are spilling out, he'll dump your ass and start hitting on Amu again."

She glared at him. "Fuck you, Tadase."

"You just did, sweetheart," replied the blond male, laughing bitterly. "Seriously, you know he's going to do everything he can to get rid of you. You're only together because I set it up when Amu and I made the deal."

Utau frowned. "That may have been the initial reason, but I just _know _that Ikuto and I are meant to be so I have full confidence he'll get over this silly crush on her soon."

"You better hope so," remarked Tadase, blowing a puff of smoke. "Because if those two get together, she'll become even more popular than she already is and skyrocket past you and Saaya in no time." He glanced at her, smirking. "And her family's Christmas party is the perfect place for them to get together."

Utau scowled, her eyes dark. "That cannot happen; they cannot and will not get together, or else that means Amu will win. I have never lost to that girl and I don't plan on starting anytime soon."

"So what do you plan on doing?" Her lover asked.

A malicious grin formed on her pretty features. "Well, luckily, I happen to be on the guest list." She glanced at Tadase. "I'm going to do what I do best and knock that girl off her high horse, no matter what."

She threw off the blankets and raced to the bathroom so she could get dressed and begin her devious plan.

Meanwhile, Tadase grinned wickedly as he tossed his cigarette out her bedroom window and began to dress. "I see things are going just as planned."

…

**I don't own Shugo Chara!**

**Hm, so Tadase's not done yet, is he? And apparently, neither is Utau.**

**So…I go back to school on the third and I'm seriously wishing for August to slow the hell down. I haven't had enough time to procrastinate!**

**Anyways, some stuff happened in this chapter. I hope you guys liked it. Don't hesitate to tell me if you found any mistakes!**


	9. Chapter 9

…

"What the hell is this?! I'm not wearing this!"

"Aw, come on, you'll look _adorable!_"

"That's precisely why I can't wear it!"

"Hmp, you're not cute."

"Exactly! I'm cool, I'm hot, I'm sexy! I am not goddamn _cute_!"

Kukai and Nagi exchanged looks as they entered the Tsukiyomi household. They had been called over by Souko a few minutes earlier, requesting their help. She had hung up before either of them could ask what she needed help with.

"Come on, please! You agreed to wear it!"

"I did no such thing, woman!"

"You'll choke them with your cuteness!"

"Why can't you choke _me _instead? No way in hell!"

"Is…is that Ikuto?" Kukai asked cautiously as he peered up the staircase. "He sounds so…different."

Nagi sighed as he gripped the banister, starting to walk upstairs. "Well, I'm sure Amu wouldn't appreciate it if we let him get killed or whatever's happening up there so let's go."

"Yeah, yeah," replied the brunette as the two of them walked up the stairs, following the shouts to a bedroom they remembered as Ikuto's.

They pushed open the door and blinked twice, staring at the sight.

Souko was attempting to hold down her boxer-clad son while trying to force a cuddly-looking reindeer costume. The blue haired teenager looked so flustered and lost as he struggled to get out of his mother's surprisingly tight grip.

The two of them looked up when the door creaked open and Ikuto paled considerably as a horrified expression formed on his features while Souko grinned.

"Oh, good, you're here," she exclaimed, getting off her son. She grabbed him by his ear before he could run to freedom, making him cringe. "Thank goodness; I need your help getting Ikuto into his costume!"

"…why?" Kukai questioned as he grinned at his childhood friend, who gave him a dirty look. "I mean, I'm sure my sister would appreciate your presence but…"

"Don't you think he looks cute?" Souko interrupted, pinching her son's cheeks. "I figured, what better way to impress a girl than to dress up as a cuddly character?"

"Oh, gee, I don't know," replied Ikuto dryly. "How about doing _anything else_? This is such a girly costume! I'm a guy; I can't wear girls' clothes! It's wrong!"

The temperature of the room dropped as a dark aura formed around Nagi, who smiled casually at his friend. "Oh…is it wrong now?"

Ikuto glanced at him and cursed, "Shit. I forgot you were here…"

Kukai and Souko grimaced as they watched the purple haired male force Ikuto into the costume with an incredible amount of strength. A few moments later, Ikuto had his arms crossed with a scowl on his face as he sat on the ground in his reindeer costume.

"I fucking hate you," muttered the blue haired male darkly, glaring at Nagihiko who simply smiled and turned to the blonde haired woman.

"Oh, thank you, Nagi-kun," exclaimed Souko gleefully, clapping her hands. "Make sure you take a lot of pictures for me at the party, okay?"

Kukai chuckled as he snapped a picture of Ikuto with his phone. "Don't worry; Yaya and Dad will definitely make sure of that." Ikuto turned his glare towards him. "But if you knew Nagi could get him in the costume, why did you need me here?"

Ikuto smirked and was about to reply when somebody appeared in the doorway.

"Idiot; haven't you figured it out yet? She has costumes for you too," explained Kairi, pushing up his glasses as he revealed his equally cute elf costume.

Souko squealed, "Oh, Kairi-kun, I knew it would look good on you! Your hair color is just perfect for being an elf!" She seemed awfully uncharacteristic but the holidays usually did that to her. "Oh, Kukai-kun, Nagi-kun, I have your costumes right over here!"

Nagi blinked once before he chuckled, thanking the woman for remembering them. The two boys already dressed in their costumes didn't look happy, but were somewhat satisfied to see Kukai's stunned expression as his cell phone fell to the ground.

"WHAT?!"

"I feel slightly better now," remarked Ikuto later on as he dragged his childhood friend out of the bathroom, poor Kukai flailing his arms around in his snowman costume. "Remember to get your picture taken, Hinamori."

"You're cruel," muttered Kukai as the four boys stood in Ikuto's room. Souko was squealing with delight as she eyed them. "At least I'm not trying to impress any girls, Mister I'm-Going-To-Date-Your-Sister." Ikuto scowled. "And why does Nagi get to be the teddy-bear Santa! That's not fair!"

"Well, I thought Nagi-kun would look the cutest in it," replied Souko, meaning no offense as her son in all but blood fell to the ground.

"Hey…I'm cute," said Kukai weakly.

"Anyways," started Ikuto, ignoring his friend, who let out a hurt cry from the ground. "I wonder why the hell you would want us in these things."

Souko smiled sweetly at her son. "The mood is going to be tense, considering not many people know why Amu isolated herself so they'll be kind of stiff towards her. I figured dressing up good-looking guys in cute costumes would brighten the mood!"

"…am I being punished for something?"

"Would you rather go with your father's idea? He wanted you to serenade her with a song before proclaiming your love."

Kukai, Nagi, and Kairi exchanged amused looks as Ikuto's expression changed to one of chagrin.

"Now, _that _would have been a sight worth seeing," remarked Kukai, smirking at his friend. "Although, Amu probably would have been embarrassed and fled from the room. Not to mention, Utau would flip out and possibly attack her."

"Not that she has any right to, considering we've been unofficially broken up for weeks."

"Does _she_ know that? In any case, she'll probably end up blackmailing you or something if she isn't busy gushing over your adorable costume."

"Rima might blackmail you," pointed out Nagi.

"_All _of the girls in our circle of friends would blackmail him," said Kairi. "Rima and Yaya especially, though I believe Ami would have simply teased him about it."

"Nevertheless, you boys are not allowed to leave here until the party starts," said Souko as she smirked. "It's always a great idea to make a grand entrance, you know? And if you try to escape out the window, I will find you even more embarrassing costumes and show your baby pictures to everyone at the party. This means _you_, Ikuto. Although, I do have several albums from your childhoods as well, boys."

She smiled at them before slamming the door shut.

"Dude, your mother is scary."

"No shit, Sherlock."

…

Midori chuckled as she read the text from Souko. Ami, who had been helping her mother in the kitchen, looked up.

"What's so funny?" She asked curiously.

"Nothing; just make sure you charged your camera," replied Midori, still chuckling lightly. "And don't worry if you don't see your brother; he's rather occupied at the moment."

Ami raised an eyebrow, not liking the look in her mother's eye, but figured it was nothing as she returned to pressing the cookie cutter into the dough.

It was Christmas Day and everybody in the Hinamori household was bustling around, trying to get everything ready. Midori and Ami were working in the kitchen, having given the staff the holiday off, while Tsumugu worked with Aruto-who had been kicked out his home by his wife for some reason-to clean the house. Yaya and Amu were in charge of the decorations.

The pink haired teenager sighed as she heard a crash from down the hall, meaning her sister had fallen off the stepladder once again. "Yaya, are you sure you don't want me to help you with the streamers?"

"No, Yaya got this!"

"Stubborn girl," muttered Amu, knowing the fourteen-year-old only talked in the third person when she was frustrated. "Oh, well. Man, where are the guys? They said they would help out."

She blew a strand of hair out of her face as she finally stepped down from the stepladder, admiring her work of the paper snowflakes dangling from the ceiling. A hand was placed on her stomach, which growled hungrily as the finished product of Ami and Midori's work wafted through the vents.

Yaya had paint smudges on her face as she closed the balcony doors, her clothes and hair completely ruffled and messy. Her face was flushed as she caught her sister's eye.

Amu raised an eyebrow. "I swear, Yaya, if I didn't know better, I would have thought you were just coming back from a make-out session with Kairi." Her sister's face turned bright red.

"S-Shut up, Amu-chi," she muttered. "I need to go change." The carrot haired girl dashed into her bedroom, leaving behind her hungry and amused older sister.

Amu chuckled to herself as she also slipped into her room to change. It was nearly four and people would start to come over soon. She sighed as she saw her reflection in the mirror, pulling the scrunchie from her hair.

"Man," she muttered, deciding to take a quick shower as she stepped back into the hallway. To her dismay, she saw that Ami was sitting against the wall across the bathroom door. "Is Yaya in there?"

"No, Papa is," replied Yaya as she exited her room. "Apparently, he found out that Mama invited boys to the party."

Amu felt her eye twitch. "Did…did he just find that out now?" Her sisters nodded and she groaned, walking over and pounding on the door. "Dad, get out of the bathroom so we can shower!"

"No, if you can't shower, you can't get ready for the…the _boys_! My sparrows cannot leave the nest, not now, not ever! Not when I just got my precious Amu-chan back too!"

Amu, Yaya, and Ami exchanged looks before they all screamed, "MOM, PAPA'S CAUSING TROUBLE AGAIN!"

"Tsumugu, come help me in the kitchen or I'll take your camera away!"

"…coming, dear!"

A second later, a disgruntled Tsumugu reluctantly left the bathroom and trudged down the stairs, muttering something about sparrows flying away. His daughters exchanged amused looks before all three of them dashed into the bathroom, finally figuring out a compromise after several minutes of arguing.

Ami and Yaya got the separate bath while Amu claimed the shower, though all three of them were already drying their hair when the youngest Hinamori sister said, "Hey, there are over ten bathrooms in this house; why didn't we just use one of those?"

Yaya and Amu froze before all three of them shook their heads at their own idiocy. They then dashed into their separate bedrooms to get dressed. A few minutes later, they stepped out simultaneously and admired each other.

Ami was wearing a white, long-sleeved shirt with a Christmas tree on it, along with a red skirt that was short enough for her to wear white tights underneath. She also had on black dress shoes. Her light brown hair was put in a side ponytail with a red heart clip.

Yaya was wearing a spaghetti strapped green dress that hugged her body just right to show off her growing figure, along with a dark red cardigan. Seeing as the dress ended just above her knees, she wore red and green striped tights with black ankle boots. Her carrot colored hair was worn down, revealing how long it was since it came down to mid-back, but she wore an elf-hat headband.

Amu was wearing a crimson red, butterfly-sleeved shirt with a black flared skirt, along with red and white striped tights underneath. She also wore black Victorian boots that came up to her knees since her skirt stopped mid-thigh. The ends of her hair had been curled so she wore it down, and she wore a Santa-hat headband.

"You look cute," exclaimed Yaya, squeezing her younger sister's cheek. The said sister slapped her hand away and glared at her for a second before she smiled brightly.

"Thanks," said Ami. "I'm sure Kairi will appreciate _your_ outfit!" That shut up the fourteen-year-old, leaving her sisters giggling. "Oh, by the way, Mama said to make sure our cameras were fully charged."

"Huh, why?" Amu asked as they descended down the stairs.

The ten-year-old shrugged. "I don't know; she started to laugh when I asked though."

"Maybe it has something to do with the fact that the boys didn't show up to help?" Yaya guessed. "Kukai was supposed to help me decorate the big Christmas tree outside, the meanie!"

"Oh, well," said Amu as they appeared in the living room, where several guests had already arrived and settled into.

The three girls quickly greeted their relatives and family friends, smiling and hugging them. Amu's greetings were awkward, of course, but that was expected considering she had practically cut them out of her life. She even somehow greeted Utau, who was standing in the corner and gave the pinkette a cold nod. The holiday atmosphere softened her personality, though not by much.

Suddenly, there was a roar from the corridor and everyone looked up as four people entered the living room. Midori covered her mouth, giggling, while her husband looked conflicted between either snapping pictures or crying in the bathroom.

Ami choked on her drink as she stared wide-eyed at her brother and his friends for several seconds before she raced up to her room to find her camera.

Yaya was three steps ahead of her as she squealed, her eyes twinkling as she snapped several pictures of the boys with her camera phone. It completely slipped her mind that her outfit matched her boyfriend's.

Amu, who had been politely offering Utau a cocktail weenie, glanced over and nearly dropped the plate as she burst out in giggles. Utau glanced around her, confused, and her eyes widened once she spotted the boys. Amethyst met topaz for one brief moment and suddenly, the two girls were on the floor laughing as they pointed at the boys.

That odd scene added to the catastrophe the costume-wearing teenage boys had created, and the said teenage boys didn't know whether to tear the costumes off and hide in the closet or continue to stare at the two rivals share a moment-even if it was at their expense.

Souko smiled as she entered the household, holding her amused husband's hand. "I knew that it would lighten the atmosphere."

Tsumugu blinked as he shook his head before shrugging and snapping several pictures of the mortified boys.

Kairi and Ikuto gave him blank stares, though they looked quite unpleased by the paparazzi treatment. Kukai was blushing as he tried to stay out of the pictures, though he did try to laugh it off by giving each of his sisters a hug. Nagihiko was the only one who it took in stride as he smiled politely for all the cameras, seeing as how the other guests had broke free from their stunned stances and were now joining in on the photo op.

Yaya had been laughing until she noticed one of her cousins gushing over Kairi, and something heavily settled in her stomach as she frowned and walked over to them.

"Kairi-koi, you look so adorable," exclaimed Yaya, hugging her boyfriend tightly before kissing his cheek. She ignored her father's mixed cry of shock and grief. "And look; we match too!" Kairi blushed, thanking her quietly for the compliment as he stated how nice she looked.

"Aw, my sister's jealous," laughed Kukai, who was suddenly tacked by his youngest sister. "What?"

"Kukai, you look so adorable," squealed Ami, pinching his cheeks. "Come on; you have to go pose for pictures over there with Auntie Nanami and Cousin Sakura! Did you know that Sakura-chan brought all of her pretty friends from her high school?" She smirked as she whispered, "Don't mess up the romance, ni-san."

Kukai blanched as the ten-year-old dragged him away, smiling brightly at anyone they passed.

Ikuto smirked as he exchanged looks with Nagihiko, who looked highly amused as he casually gestured towards the corner where Utau and Amu were still laughing. The blue haired male raised an eyebrow when he spotted them.

"Well, that's unexpected," remarked Ikuto.

Meanwhile, Utau was clinging to Amu as she struggled to catch her breath. "Did…did you see their expressions? They looked so _adorable_!"

Amu was practically wheezing as she nodded, tears streaming down her face. She nodded and managed to say, "They're normally so cool-looking but now they look like something in a toddler's TV show!" This set Utau off again and they started another round of laughter. "And…and did you see Kukai? Oh lord; I'm never letting him live that down!"

"S-Send me the pictures," replied Utau as they spent another few minutes chuckling before they realized what they were doing.

Both girls stared at each other before they awkwardly pulled away, clearing their throats as they not-so-subtly stepped away from each other. Amu was picking up the food off the floor from when she had dropped the plate while Utau began to play with her hair, trying to fall back into her icy persona.

The blonde was conflicted; she really did not want to lose to Amu or give up Ikuto to her, but also…it had been a long time since she had laughed like that, feeling so carefree without her guard up. It felt…nice.

Amu threw the ruined weenies into the nearby trashcan, her face still flushed from their laugh attack as she murmured, "Oh, well, um…glad you make it, Utau. And um…don't worry; I still have your number so I can send you the pictures…and uh, Merry Christmas."

She began to walk away as quickly as possible without seeming rude, but she turned back with a surprised expression when Utau grabbed her arm. The blonde looked just as startled as she did, her cheeks oddly pink.

"Y-Yes, Utau?" Amu asked.

The blonde opened and closed her mouth, seemingly not knowing what to say. An apology was at the tip of her tongue and about to slip out when the front door suddenly opened, revealing Rima.

Utau saw the pinkette's eyes lit up and the warm feeling in her stomach disappeared as she released Amu's arm, walking away. Amu didn't notice as she ran over to the blonde, who was wearing a red dress with black tights.

"Rima, you came," exclaimed the pinkette happily.

Rima raised an eyebrow. "Only because you threatened me," she replied coldly before she glanced at Ikuto and Nagi. "…why are the kitten and the cross-dresser wearing those ridiculous costumes?"

Ikuto glared at her while Nagi chuckled, blushing as he rubbed the back of his head to the best of his abilities in his Santa-bear costume.

Amu shrugged. "Who knows? They're weird." Rima's mouth quirked upwards slightly at that. "Anyways, I'm glad you showed up! Are you hungry?" She sniffed the air and frowned. "It looks like they're bringing the alcohol out early. It's a good thing Ami set up a buffet up in the lounge! Come on!" She grabbed Rima and Ikuto by their hands and began to lead them up the stairs. "Yaya, Ami, get the others up here! You too, Utau!"

Yaya laughed as she and Kairi followed them, Ami dragging Kukai out of the kitchen as they went upstairs as well. Nagihiko chuckled as he obeyed the pinkette's request.

Utau looked at the staircase, biting her thumb as she debated whether she should continue with her plan and follow them or go home and forget about the whole thing. She found herself unable to do such a heinous thing-that Tadase had been oddly too eager about-especially on a holiday. It was the holiday atmosphere, right? That was why she was getting soft, and why she had lowered her guard with Amu earlier. Right?

She was brought out of her musing when the said pinkette appeared at the bottom of the steps, an expectant look on her face. "Hey, Utau; are you coming upstairs or not? Don't worry; I made sure Kukai didn't eat everything. You still like gingersnaps, right?"

Utau looked up at her in surprise before she nodded. "Right…I'm coming up." The words slipped from lips before she could stop herself. Amu's tone…it had sounded as if she was talking to a friend, and not someone who had tried to ruin her. It was just like when they were kids.

Amu smiled happily as she grabbed the blonde by the wrist and led her up to the lounge room. "I thought so! I remember you used to have those cookie-eating contests with Kukai all the time!" She rambled on about past holiday events, bringing up warm memories for Utau.

"Hey, Amu…"

The sixteen-year-old girl stopped, looking back at the blonde. "Yeah?"

Utau swallowed hard, looking away as she said, "Well, it's just that…um…I'm going to officially break up with Ikuto, okay? But not for your sake or anything," she added quickly. "I just thought you should know." Amu blinked.

"Oh…okay," she said. "Thanks for telling me, Utau."

The blonde nodded as they continued up the steps. She wasn't giving up just yet, but Utau decided at that moment not to go through with her plan to humiliate Amu.

_I won't lose to you ever, Hinamori Amu…but consider this your Christmas present._

…

**I don't own Shugo Chara!**

**So this is the Christmas party, Part One. I was going to put in the confrontation with Rima and sneak in some Amuto, but it just didn't fit without making the chapter extra long. So it'll continue in the next chapter!**

**Okay, I wasn't originally going to turn Utau from a villain to a good person but she's still human so I figured…if Amu had once been friends with her, then Utau must have originally been sweet too, right? Obviously, she was in my story since I'm the author and I'm making her like that…**

**I just confused myself. **

**Anyways, Utau's not completely heartless in this chapter though she's claiming it's because it's the holidays. She's no Grinch, so she decides to let Amu have a small victory by giving up Ikuto. However, without Ikuto as a final claim, can Utau really continue to compete with Amu-who looks ready to forgive her? **

**Hm, we'll see…and no. Before you guys ask, I did not have any specific plan for Utau to humiliate Amu. Just imagine it was something cruel and mortifying, alright?**

**Moving on, I hope you like the little costume idea I had for the guys. There's no actual meaning behind their costumes, really, but interpret it any way you want to.**

**Actually, there is some value in the costume I chose for Nagihiko. If you can find out why I made him dress up as the Santa-bear, then I'll give you a virtual brownie. (Hint: it involves a small blonde)**

**I hope you guys liked the chapter; don't hesitate to tell me if you found any mistakes!**


	10. Chapter 10

…

"I'm just going to come out and say it; this is insanely awkward."

Ami turned and glared at her brother. "You're such an idiot; saying things are awkward make them even more awkward!"

"Hey, I'm not an idiot!"

"Oh, yeah? Who's the one in the snowman costume? Who's the one that sang a pitchy version of 'Frosty the Snowman' for half an hour and wouldn't shut up?"

"I was not pitchy!"

"Yes, you were, you idiot," snapped Utau, irritated. "Now shut up about it before I tape your mouth shut for you!"

"That might happen sooner than you think," muttered Rima, also looking irritated.

Kukai pouted and crossed his arms.

He was right though; the party was extremely awkward. Much like it had been when they were kids, they were all in their separate corners but it wasn't warm or friendly like it had been ten years ago.

Kairi and Yaya were on the loveseat, where she was playfully pinching his cheeks and kissing him so that he would blush. Ami was sitting on the beanbags as she talked absently with Amu. Utau was off in the corner, leaning against the wall as she sipped her punch. Kukai was in the center of the room, singing holiday songs terribly. Rima was curled up on the seat near the window and Nagihiko was leaning against the wall nearby. Ikuto was laying comfortably on the couch, though he had trouble staying on due to his bulky reindeer costume.

Yaya finally stopped teasing her boyfriend as she realized how tense the atmosphere was, and she frowned deeply. She jumped up and clapped her hands.

"Alright, no more frowns at this party," exclaimed the fourteen-year-old. "I forbid you from doing so as long as you are guests in my house!"

"It's our house too," muttered Amu, Ami, and Kukai.

Yaya ignored her siblings. "I know it's a Christmas party but all of you are acting so moody and grumpy so we're going to play a game!" Everyone raised an eyebrow. "I know! Let's play truth-or-dare!"

"I think the proper name is interrogation-or-abuse," stated Amu, who did not look pleased by the idea. "But you're right; let's lighten up the mood, shall we?" She then went over and kicked her brother, who had begun to sing a new rendition of 'Deck the Halls'. "And you stop singing! You sound like a donkey going through a wood chipper!"

Kukai fell forward and pounded his fists on the carpet since his costume made it nearly impossible for him to move around in. He couldn't even roll over. "Hey, that's not fair! Help me up!"

"Hold on," stated Utau, taking out her phone and snapping a picture. She smirked as she walked over and kicked him so that he rolled over onto his back. "There you go, Hinamori."

"Hey, quit it! Help me up, Hoshina!"

"Alright, let's get in a circle," exclaimed Yaya, ignoring her brother as she began to push away the furniture so that there was more room. "Come on!" She frowned at Ikuto and grabbed the costume's antlers to pull the seventeen-year-old off the couch. He hit the ground with a loud thump. "Jeez, you're supposed to have cat-like reflexes, Ikuto-kun."

"Well, he is in that cute costume," remarked Ami, chuckling as the rest of the party slowly formed a circle in the middle of the room. "You took a lot of pictures, right? Souko-san said she wanted them for her album."

"Yeah, yeah, we got lots of pictures," said Yaya and Amu at the same time, waving their hands dismissively as they helped Kukai and Ikuto up respectively.

"Okay, who wants to go first?" Yaya asked. No one volunteered and a small smirk crossed her lips. "Jeez, I didn't think you guys were so scared of a little game." As expected, she got a reaction out of the expected people.

"I'm not scared of anything," shouted Utau and Kukai, glaring at each other. The others were surprised by the blonde's behavior, considering she hadn't shown her competitive side with Kukai recently. Then again, they hadn't a chance to compete over anything.

Yaya's smirk grew but she quickly hid it. "Alright, Utau, you can go first then." She walked over to the buffet table and picked up one of the empty bottles before going back and placing it in the middle.

The blonde nodded and spun the bottle. After several seconds, it landed on Kairi.

"Aw, man; it landed on the prez," complained Utau uncharacteristically. Amu smiled though as she realized what had happened; the singer had let her guard down and dropped her mask to let others see her true self. "Alright, then; truth or dare?"

"Truth," replied the elf-dressed boy as he took off his hat. His girlfriend made a disapproving noise as she forced it back on his head. He blushed as nearly everyone cracked a smile.

Utau sighed, biting the end of her thumb. "Hm, let me think…oh, I know! If you could date any girl in this room other than Yaya, who would it be?"

Kairi's eyebrows disappeared into his hairline while his girlfriend raised an eyebrow, eyeing him for a few moments before she shrugged.

"It's okay, Kairi-koi," assured the fourteen-year-old. "I know it won't mean anything."

The green haired boy returned the smile she gave him before sighing and taking in consideration for the question. Finally, he admitted, "I guess it would have to be Amu."

"Eh?" The pink haired teenager exclaimed, blushing lightly. Ikuto frowned, but it was barely noticeable. "Uh, how come, if you don't mind me asking?"

Kairi shrugged. "I admire your ability to bounce back from such a situation that you were inconveniently placed in and maintain a positive outlook on things." A light blush blossomed over his cheeks as he avoided her eyes. "Also, you are quite attractive."

"Oh," was all the sixteen-year-old could say as she blushed again. Yaya giggled.

"You're so adorable, Kairi-koi," she squealed, tackling her boyfriend and pinching his cheeks affectionately. After a few minutes of watching the young couple, Rima cleared her throat and the two separated. Yaya blushed and exclaimed, "Alright, then; Kairi, spin the bottle!"

The young samurai nodded and did so. The bottle spun for several moments before it landed on Nagihiko. "Fujisaki-san, truth or dare?"

The purple haired male smiled. "I'll take truth," he replied.

"I'll hit something if everyone says 'truth'," murmured Utau.

Kairi said, "I apologize; I'm not very good at these sorts of things." He thought over what he should ask. "Assuming that you were still in your Nadeshiko persona, what do you believe your life would be like?"

He had discovered Nagi's secret years ago and Utau had figured it out on her own when Rima repeatedly called him 'cross-dresser'. No one questioned how _she _found out because whenever someone asked, she would smirk and he would blush.

Nagi blinked. "I would like to think that I…or rather, she would have been on the dance team if she chose not to travel and continued to be good friends with others." He chuckled. "She probably would have had many friends; for some reason, it's much easier for Nadeshiko to be friends with others."

"Because Nadeshiko is much more likeable than a cross-dresser," remarked Rima bluntly.

"I-Isn't that the same thing, though?" Nagi asked, glancing at her.

"No," stated the blonde. "Spin the bottle already."

He smiled nervously before he reached for the bottle. It ended up landing on Ami. "Truth or dare, Ami-chan?"

The ten-year-old smiled brightly. "I'm not Amu, so I'll pick a dare!"

"H-Hey, hold on; how do you know I won't say dare?!"

Everyone turned to look at the offended pinkette, several eyebrows rising as she received skeptical looks.

"…fine, just tell her what to do, Nagi."

Nagihiko chuckled at his friend before turning to the young girl. "Alright, I dare you to go downstairs and shout a secret to everyone. It doesn't have to be a huge secret."

"That's not very daring," complained Kukai.

"She's your ten-year-old sister," reminded Ikuto. "Do you really want her to do something outrageous? And in any case, it's Nagi; you know he wouldn't give her a heavy dare."

Ami shook her head as she stood and walked out the door into the hallway, where she leaned over the stair banister and shouted, "Everybody, I just wanted to let you know that I used to have a crush on my brother when I was very little! That's all; Merry Christmas!"

She returned to the party and everybody looked at her with different expressions. Rima and Ikuto were smirking, Nagi and Amu had wide eyes, Kukai and Utau were gaping at the ten-year-old, Kairi was rubbing the back of his neck, and Yaya was pouting.

"You…you had a brother complex?" Amu questioned, and her sister nodded. "And…and you got over it?" Ami nodded again and the pinkette glanced at Utau quickly as her fantasy world flashed through her mind before she looked away.

"Yeah, I realized how weird it was to love your brother like that," she replied. "Also, I realized only a crazy person would fall in love with Kukai!"

Yaya sighed. "Man, you too? I thought I was weird for liking Kukai like that…I'm glad I moved on though or else I would have never started to date Kairi!" She leaned over and kissed her boyfriend on the cheek.

"Okay, am I the only who didn't fall in love Kukai?" Amu exclaimed, looking between her sisters, who both shrugged. Kukai was too busy looking like a fish out of water to make a remark.

"Jeez, Ami spin the bottle," remarked Ikuto, who looked highly amused. "Does anyone else find it weird that a ten-year-old is playing truth-or-dare with a bunch of teenagers?"

"Kick me out and I'll show Amu the pictures from The Party," stated Ami darkly, looking over at the blue haired boy. Her siblings smirked and Amu looked around, confused.

"What party?" She asked.

"Oh, since you were in a coma during your birthday, we threw you a party anyways and Ami managed to get everybody to do something embarrassing," said Yaya, smirking as she glanced at Ikuto. "Some people had to do things more embarrassing than others."

"I don't want to know," murmured Amu. "Spin the bottle, Ami."

"Alright, alright…okay! Kukai, truth or dare?" Ami exclaimed, turning to her brother. The seventeen-year-old didn't blink since he was still in shock from her revelation.

Amu and Utau, who were sitting on either sides of him, both leaned over and whacked him on the head. He fell forward again, unable to get up in his snowman costume. He didn't notice though as he shouted, "Hit me with your best shot because I pick dare!"

"Did…did you just quote that American song?" Nagi asked, raising an eyebrow at his friend.

"No, give me the dare, Ami!"

The ten-year-old raised an eyebrow. "Hm, what should I make you do? I know you have a bunch of embarrassing secrets so I could exploit them for your utter humiliation…oh, but I have to make you do something extreme so I can blackmail you later…"

"It's official; Ami is a sadist wearing a mask of cuteness," murmured Amu to her other sister, who nodded in agreement.

Finally, Ami snapped her fingers and exclaimed, "Oh, I got one! I dare you to stand in the running shower in nothing but your underwear with Utau under the same conditions for twenty minutes!"

"YES! Anything to get out of this stupid costume," exclaimed Kukai, jumping up and racing to the bathroom.

"He heard the rest of the dare, right?" Ikuto remarked, glancing at the blonde singer whose jaw had dropped in shock.

"Oh, he heard it," replied Amu, smirking at the thought. "Don't have too much fun with my brother, Hoshina."

"Shut up, Hinamori," muttered Utau, her face slightly red as she stood. "Did I do something really that awful to get punished too?"

"Yes," stated Ami, grinning like a Cheshire cat. "You never liked my sister and I never liked you, so here we are."

Utau frowned deeply at her before she sighed and began to walk towards the bathroom; she barely made it to the door when there was a loud crashing sound and Kukai could be heard shouting, "WAIT, WHAT?!"

"Idiot," murmured Ikuto as the blonde walked into the bathroom.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

"You heard the dare, dumbass!"

"Yeah, but w-why are you undressing in here?!"

"Well, I can't undress out there! Don't tell me you've never seen a girl like this, Hinamori; it's the same as seeing her in a bathing suit!"

"But I don't want to shower with you!"

"The feeling is mutual!"

"Stupid lovebirds," muttered Ami, standing up and walking into the bathroom.

"H-Hey, Ami; get out!"

"Stupid; you're taking too long!"

Loud crashing noises were heard and everybody sweat-dropped.

"Don't touch me in weird places! You're my sister!"

"Hey, get off of me, kid!"

"Why are you guys so reluctant to do this dare? Don't tell me you're really a pair of scaredy-cats."

"AS IF!"

"NO WAY IN HELL!"

Ami walked out, dusting off her clothes with a smug smile on her features as she sat back down.

"I worry about you sometimes, Ami," said Yaya, eyeing her sister. The ten-year-old merely grinned and turned back to the bathroom.

"Hey, I don't hear the water running," she shouted. "Don't make me go in there and watch you!"

"That sounds creepy," stated Kairi just as the shower started.

"Nevertheless, we need to record this for future blackmail," remarked Rima, who had remained mostly silent since she arrived.

Amu's eyes widened slightly as she remembered why she had invited the blonde and felt guilty about practically ignoring her.

"Oh, Rim-I mean, Mashiro-chan, can you help me carry more food upstairs?" She asked casually, smiling at her. The blonde blinked, which Amu took as a yes. "Great, thanks; I'm sure Ikuto would be delighted to have some sort of blackmail on my brother so he can take care of that."

Amu took Rima by the arm and led her downstairs while an almost evil smirk formed on Ikuto's face as he stood.

"Oy, what are you doing in here?"

"Ah, Ikuto; don't look at me like this!"

"Come on, dude; isn't it bad enough that I have to be here with her?"

"What's that supposed to mean, kid?"

"K-Kid? We're the same age; you're only a few months older than me!"

"Shut up, Hinamori!"

"Don't tell me what to-hey, Ikuto! Why are you taking out your phone? What are you doing?"

"Consider this an exchange for the pictures you took earlier."

"No, this is bad enough; get out!"

"Hey, don't go that way or else I'll-ah!" A thumping noise was heard as Utau assumingly slipped.

"Shit, sorry!"

"Don't apologize, you stupid kid; just help me up! Jeez…"

"Sorry, sorry, but you look funny!"

"Oh, yeah?"

"Hey, what are you doing? Yikes, no, that water is cold! Dammit, stop it, Hoshina! Ikuto, stop smirking and help me!"

"Nah, I think I'll continue to record this scene and show it to your next girlfriend."

Everyone back outside sweat-dropped.

"S-Should we do something?" Nagi asked.

Yaya waved her hand dismissively. "They're fine. Anyways, this game has gotten boring; let's do something else."

"Weren't you the one to suggest playing it in the first place?" Ami asked.

The fourteen-year-old smiled. "Yeah, although that was mostly to lighten the air with Utau; she could never back down from a fight and even though it's been years, she'll be herself around people like us." Her eyes wandered over to the bathroom door. "I know you guys think that Utau is a horrible person, and she probably is, but Amu believes in her so we should give her a chance. If Amu can forgive Utau for everything, don't you think we should do the same?"

Everyone stared at her, thinking about what she had said.

"Besides," continued Yaya. "I needed a distraction to make sure Amu and Rima could have some privacy; after all, the main reason why Amu wanted to have this party was so she could rebuild her friendship with Rima. I mean, it was at a Christmas party when Rima first became her friend and it'll be a Christmas party again."

"How did you figure that out?" Nagi asked.

The fourteen-year-old giggled. "I know I can act like a baby sometimes, but I'm not stupid." She leaned over and pinched Kairi's cheek. "Kairi-koi would never date somebody stupid, after all!" Her boyfriend blushed and she squealed, "Just like I wouldn't date anyone who wasn't so adorable!"

The green haired boy was soon tackled to the ground as the young girl tried to cover him with kisses, highly amusing the other two in the room as they continued to listen to the events occurring in the bathroom. Only fifteen more minutes to go…

Meanwhile, downstairs, Amu was piling cookies on a plate while Rima watched.

"Alright, so what did you really want me down here for?" The blonde finally asked.

The sixteen-year-old girl paused. "I know you probably hate me, and I don't really blame you, but I just want you to hear me out."

Rima raised an eyebrow and Amu placed the plate of cookies on the counter as she took a deep breath.

"I did a really stupid thing by agreeing with Tadase's plan," she started. "It's just that when I was little, I was always…insecure about whether or not people really liked me because of me or because they liked what my family had to offer. I didn't hang out with a lot of people and the only friends I ever had are now upstairs in that game lounge."

"I tried my best to be nice to everyone because I wanted to be their friend and I guess I felt like I had to get everybody to like me or else I would feel useless inside. I knew Utau didn't really like me; she made it really obvious and even said that she hated me once. She acted like a horrible person but I knew she was actually a kind person; that's why I was so nice to her and acted oblivious to her coldness. I wanted to show her that it was possible for somebody so cold and lonely to have a friend."

Amu chuckled, though it sounded hollow as she turned and faced the wall. Rima watched her carefully.

"I guess that's why I first befriended you, Rima-I mean, Mashiro-san. You reminded me of Utau and I thought that if I showed her that I could befriend a cold person like you, she would warm up to me too. It was selfish and cold of me, but that was my personality back then. I soon learned that you weren't Utau though, and that I really did want to be your friend-not just a friendly acquaintance. In fact, I even wanted to be your best friend. I still do."

The shorter-than-average blonde's eyes widened.

"You were one of the few people in my life to treat me like a person-like myself, and not some shy, nice girl at school. I could actually be myself around you; I didn't have to pretend to be sweet and kind all the time like at school. At school, they treated me kindly but only because of what my last name is. It would be bad for my family if I acted rude to everybody, wouldn't it? But around you, Mashiro-san, I could be snarky and unladylike if I wanted to and you wouldn't judge me for it. I could laugh at someone's jokes and mean it because you were-and still are-the funniest person I know. I love Ami and Yaya, but I felt like you were the sister I was missing. You were there for me whenever I needed to cry or vent, and I was there whenever you got upset with your parents' arguing."

Tears began to form in Amu's eyes, but they remained unseen by the stunned blonde.

"You were like my other half sometimes, Mashiro-san, and I forgot why I had initially become friends with you. And then, Utau came into school one day with a scowl as she complained that her dad refused to sign her. All of a sudden, I felt the urge to help her and make her like me for it. I forgot that I had gained you when I lost her, and I went running to Tadase to beg for him to help Utau."

Rima heard the pinkette's voice crack and she hesitantly stepped forward.

"I only remembered what I already had soon after I had signed the deal with Tadase; I forgot that with my family and friends-with _you_-I didn't need to be approved by everybody, nevermind a girl who hated my guts. But it was too late; the damage was done and I had dug my grave. I was never one to back down from a promise though, no matter who it was with, so I reluctantly did my part of the deal."

Amu clutched the granite countertops so tightly that her knuckles turned white; her back was still facing her former best friend.

"I had a huge fight with Ikuto, I shouted at my family and called them names, I began to brush you off…I was so lonely, but I couldn't do anything. Utau was happy though, and I thought that would make me happy too…but I was wrong. I became depressed without my friends and even though I had Nagi, I couldn't tell him anything about what was really bothering me. My grades started to suffer because I stopped caring; people started to look down at me with disgust because I stopped being nice to them. I began to sink into the shadows as Utau began to shine."

Rima placed a hand to her cheek in surprise when she felt something wet slide down it, her eyes still locked onto the shaking figure in front of her.

"I felt so alone in the world; the only reason people at school still knew my name was because I was the unwilling girlfriend of one Hotori Tadase. I didn't even remember who I was like or why I had agreed to the deal. Eventually, my mind practically broke and I suddenly had a four-way personality complex…my would-be selves, I guess."

A bitter smile formed on Amu's face at that.

"I thought that it would help me, but it only made it worse; I had no control over the abilities my other personalities had and I forgot which personality was the real me. I couldn't stand it. They began to constantly switch and they practically took over my life. I ended up in the park when I finally cracked and I remember…I remember that I was clutching my head as I stumbled into the streets, all while I shrieked and screeched for the madness to stop. The last thing I heard was my own voice telling me that it was useless for me to have hope, and then I blacked out."

"I created a fantasy world in my head and I had no memory of my real life; I had my moments but I was happy there. Then one day I got hit in the head with a soccer ball and I woke up in that hospital with no idea about what the hell was going on. You know what happened after that."

"I know this must sound like a pity party, but it's not. The point is that the fantasy world gave me new friends and new enemies. Even in the fantasy world, you were still my best friend. You were cold and blunt, but you were also warm and caring. You were there for me and I felt so happy that I could call you my friend."

Amu finally turned back around and it was no surprise that both girls were crying.

"I missed you so much that even my mind refused to acknowledge that we weren't friends anymore. I am so, so sorry for what I had done. If I could go back in time and slap myself for doing such a thing…oh, god, I would…I would…"

Amu broke down sobbing as she fell to the ground on her knees.

"My life is such a wreck and I don't know how to rebuild it. I know it looks like I have things under control and that I'm suddenly this cool and spicy person…but it hurts to know that I've done horrible things. The first day I woke up…I didn't remember Kukai was my brother; I thought Utau and Ikuto were siblings…everything was so different and I was so alone. No one was there to help me at first because they were all strangers to me all of a sudden."

Rima looked at the sobbing pinkette and warm memories flickered in her mind as she slowly kneeled down on the ground.

"I know you hate me and you'll never forgive me for what I've done and that this pain I feel is nothing compared to the pain you've been feeling…but please…let me be selfish like I was back then, and let me in again…"

Streaks ran down Amu's face and ruined whatever makeup she had been wearing, though she didn't even notice or care. "I'm so, so sorry…Mashiro-san…"

"Don't call me that, Amu," whispered Rima before she tackled the pinkette, hugging her tightly. "Don't call me that."

"R-Rima?" Amu said, disbelief evident in her voice.

"I was lonely and hurt when you suddenly left me, Amu," said the blonde softly, her chin resting on Amu's shoulder. "And I thought I did hate you…but then I saw how miserable you looked each day and I wondered why you were doing this to yourself. I hated myself because I couldn't believe that I didn't hate you. I was hurt because I wasn't doing anything to try and get you back. You didn't give up on me so easily and you still didn't even now; I was mad at myself because I didn't have the strength to do that. I'm sorry too, Amu. I'm sorry for that."

Rima pulled away and wiped her eyes, smiling sadly at the stunned pinkette.

"I forgave you the second I found out the truth. And I don't hate you, Amu." Her smile became slightly less sad. "How could I hate my best friend?"

A new round of sobs began as Amu squeezed the life out of the blonde, holding her close and thanking her repeatedly. Rima was doing the same, and the two of them eventually ended up sitting on the kitchen floor in utter silence.

Finally, Rima cracked a smile and said, "I guess this means that I have to help you finally hook up with Ikuto, huh?"

Amu turned bright red as the blonde began to laugh. The pinkette couldn't find herself angry enough to shout at her though.

To her, Rima's laugh was like a beautiful symphony after a tragic war.

…

**I don't own Shugo Chara!**

**Okay, this is Christmas Party Part Two; part three will be up soon enough.**

**Yeah, yeah; I'm really dragging on the Christmas party, aren't I? Silly Billies; I can't have a holiday party without some Amuto, can I? **

**Anyways, I started school today; ugh cakes. I'm actually in it now, at lunch. **

**Nothing really new to say, other than I started watching "Fullmetal Alchemist". It's pretty cool; I'm on episode 21.**

**Don't hesitate to tell what you thought or if you found any mistakes!**


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